Challenges and opportunities of sustainable mobility in MOL and LUR presented in Denmark
In May 2022, the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region (RRA LUR) entered and won the competition for addressing the main mobility challenges and opportunities, organized by BABLE Smart Cities. Thus, on December 13th 2022, a delegation from the City of Ljubljana (MOL), the Ljubljana Urban Planning Institute (LUZ) and RRA LUR took part in an interactive workshop held at the BLOXHUB premises in Copenhagen (Denmark) and engaged in a debate with representatives of leading transport and spatial consultants working within the BLOXHUB association.
By winning the international competition organized by BABLE Smart Cities platform for connecting smart cities and BLOXHUB, the Nordic Hub for Sustainable Urbanization, which receives more than 400 requests for consultations annually, the MOL, LUZ and RRA LUR were awarded a full day of free consultation for mobility issues in Ljubljana. Consulting topics were set in the field of smart city strategy, innovative technologies, urban planning, urban mobility, and energy solutions in urban and rural environments.
After the introductory presentation of some urban and rural mobility measures, good practices and challenges in the field of mobility in MOL and LUR, a discussion with experts followed. They advised on concrete actions, opportunities, and possible solutions in the field of further development of sustainable mobility in Ljubljana. After the workshop and the presentation of measures in the field of mobility in Copenhagen, the delegation also visited the premises of Gehl Architects, where the approaches to organizing the city and the region according to people were being discussed.
The central issues discussed during the workshops were the following:
- How to increase the efficiency of regional public transport?
- How to achieve even greater functionality of the existing P+R parking lots and what is the vision of the regional P+R system in the future?
- How to increase the use of urban public transport?
- How to facilitate a broader discussion of ideas in the field of mobility?
- How to establish a connected regional bicycle network?
- What measures would further encourage the development of cycling in the city?
In general, the consultants proposed:
- to set more ambitious goals in achieving the reduction of the negative effects of traffic in the city;
- to upgrade existing and successful solutions in the field of sustainable mobility (e.g. expansion of the existing network of bicycle connections outside the city, expansion of areas of limited motorized traffic to suitable areas outside the city centre, introduction of various pilot measures and advanced solutions in the field of sustainable mobility at the regional level);
- consideration of different data sets for planning and coordinating mobility measures;
- to conduct research, polls, monitor public opinion, collect and analyse data;
- to increase awareness of the fact that a change in travel habits occurs only after the establishment of good alternatives to the personal car, infrastructure improvements, technologically advanced support systems and raising public awareness of the importance of sustainable mobility in everyday activities.
At the event, both the City Municipality of Ljubljana and RRA LUR committed to further cooperation in such innovative networks and trainings. Further cooperation would emphasise the recognition and benchmarking of international good practices in the field of sustainable mobility in both urban and rural areas of the Ljubljana Urban Region.
