- Topic
- Public and stakeholder involvement
- Urban mobility planning
- Country
- France
- Resource type
- Case study
Bordeaux is taking an innovative approach to sustainable mobility by moving a purely technical or infrastructure-led view of travel behaviour. Instead, the city brings cultural policy, transport planning and communities together to influence travel behaviour. Cultural events, public transport coordination, community-based mobility education and collaborative planning are used to encourage low-impact travel and improve access to cultural life.
This case study shows how culture-led engagement can unlock new pathways for behavioural change and support public willingness to adopt sustainable mobility, even in resource-constrained settings.
Context
A cultural city facing mobility challenges
The City of Bordeaux has long been recognised for its cultural vibrancy and strong civic identity. Beyond its UNESCO-listed historic centre, Bordeaux is one of France’s most attractive hubs for creative activity, hosting arts programmes, community festivals and local cultural organisations. Yet, like many mid-sized European cities, it faces challenges such as high car dependency, uneven public transport access across metropolitan and provincial (département) areas, and resistance to adopting more sustainable travel behaviour.
Since the early 2020s, mobility and climate action have gained greater prominence in the city’s agenda. This shift opened the door to rethinking how urban mobility could be addressed not only through traditional technical planning and infrastructure, but also through social, cultural and behavioural transformation.
A key moment came in 2021 with “My Street Breathes” (Ma Rue Respire), a monthly car-free day during which selected streets across various neighbourhoods were closed to motorised traffic and opened to pedestrians, cyclists and other forms of active mobility. The initiative raised awareness, reclaimed public space and encouraged active mobility, while fostering a more convivial and accessible urban environment. However, it also revealed structural limitations: without complementary long-term measures, temporary interventions risked remaining symbolic. The city recognised that lasting mobility change would require a deeper cultural shift in how people perceive and use public space.
Integrating culture and mobility planning
Building on these lessons, Bordeaux developed a cross-sectoral strategy that linked mobility and culture. Instead of treating them as separate policy areas, culture was positioned as a catalyst for behavioural change – capable of shifting perceptions, testing new practice and building acceptance of mobility transitions. This new approach encouraged collaboration between the Municipal Department of Culture and the Metropolitan Mobility Department, alongside regional, provincial and national actors.
The metropolitan area’s geographic and social structure played a key role. While major cultural venues are concentrated in the central municipality, numerous cultural associations and active community networks operate across more dispersed areas where public transport availability is uneven, particularly in the evenings and on weekends. Improving cultural access while reducing car reliance therefore became a core priority.
This evolving approach introduced the concept of “culturalising mobility” – positioning culture as a driving force that shapes habits, reinforces shared values and opens new possibilities for sustainable living. The city began engaging cultural actors, civic creativity and grassroots artistic movements to co-develop new pathways toward sustainable mobility embedded in everyday cultural life.
Drawing on municipal and metropolitan analyses, mobility survey training, interviews and pilot initiatives, this case study highlights a resource-efficient and transferable governance model. Together, these insights show how cities can accelerate behavioural and systemic mobility transitions by complementing traditional transport measures with culture-driven engagement.
In action
To put this strategy into practice, Bordeaux launched a series of coordinated initiatives connecting cultural participation with sustainable mobility behaviours.
Building a shared knowledge base
The first step by the city of Bordeaux involved training cultural professionals to conduct mobility surveys and assess the carbon impact of events. Inspired by a successful pilot in Normandy, the purpose of this measure was to better understand travel flows and mobility behaviour. By equipping cultural practitioners with research methods, data analysis tools and frameworks, they were able to design targeted interventions - such as adjusting event times, improving cycling access or partnering with public transport providers - to reduce car dependency and improve accessibility across the metropolitan area.
Cultural events promoting sustainable mobility
With this new knowledge base, the city supported cultural and artistic initiatives that actively promote sustainable travel.Events like SLOWFEST combine solar-powered concerts with bike tours, encouraging participants to travel slowly, share routes and experience movement as a social and ecological act. The “Soul Tram” project transforms daily tram journeys into mobile DJ sessions, offering young people a festive, car-free alternative to nightlife while raising awareness about alcohol safety. These initiatives link cultural enjoyment with public transport use, connecting emotional and practical dimensions of behavioural change.
Figure 1: SLOWFEST’s carbon-free concerts, street performances and artistic shows (Source: https://slowfest.org/artistique)
Strengthening public transport access to cultural sites
The city also used public transport networks to encourage visits to cultural sites. Cultural landmarks, museums and community venues connected via rail routes and tram lines were highlighted, supported by insights from the mobility surveys (e.g. audience origins, travel distances and access barriers). Analysis from Ferroviaire Démocratique (2023) revealed that while most central cultural venues were well connected, many peripheral areas remained underserved, particularly during evenings and weekends - key times for cultural participation. These findings helped identify priority areas for improvement and fed into metropolitan mobility and rail development plans.
Figure 2: Transport network supply in the Metropolitan area of Bordeaux. (Source: Ferroviaire Démocratique Analysis (2023))
The metropolitan public transport website and mobile app were updated to promote sustainable travel options to cultural destinations, with parking information intentionally removed to encourage modal shift. Awareness campaigns showcased how easily cultural events and tourist sites could be reached without a car. In parallel, public transport schedules were adapted to better align with event schedules.
Figure 3: Cultural sites promoted along the public transport network (Source: Ferroviaire Démocratique Analysis (2023))
Integrated ticketing schemes, such as linking the municipal Carte Jeune with the national Pass Culture, further supported affordability for young audiences[1].
Figure 4: Integrated ticketing for the young (Source: Bordeaux Metropolitan area website)
Supporting shared and first/last-mile mobility
To complement public transport, the city expanded carpooling and shared mobility services, improving first- and last-mile access and attracting new users. These measures also responded to the connectivity gaps identified through the mobility data analysis, helping to extend sustainable access beyond central areas.
Across all actions, governance centred on collaboration between the cultural department, the urban mobility planning team as well as community organisations. While modest in budget, the approach relies on partnership and shared responsibility. It emphasises communication, incremental change, and collective experimentation, recognising that mobility transformation is both a technical and cultural process.
Results
The integrated culture–mobility strategy has produced tangible outcomes in governance, awareness and behavioural change. More than 100 cultural professionals were trained in 2025 alone to assess event-related mobility patterns and carbon impacts, creating citywide capacity to embed sustainability in cultural planning. This has led to a growing number of cultural institutions incorporating mobility surveys, adjusting event times and coordinating with transport providers to reduce car dependency.
Survey findings have also fed into metropolitan mobility planning, identifying cultural sites and peripheral areas needing stronger public transport connections. This improved coordination and resource allocation between municipal and metropolitan levels and strengthened communication to travellers about sustainable cultural access. The insights are now guiding the expansion of tram and suburban rail services up to 2028, aligning cultural access with the broader metropolitan transport strategy[2].
Figure 5: Regional Metro network expansion plan across the Bordeaux Nouvelle Aquitaine area until 2028 (Source: Ferroviaire Démocratique Analysis (2023))
Citizen engagement has deepened as well. Events such as the annual Culture-Mobility Day and creative mobility campaigns have attracted wide public participation, reinforcing positive attitudes toward public and shared transport. The Metropolitan City of Bordeaux is also preparing to introduce a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform to further integrate sustainable transport options.
Active mobility has made notable gains: with 36 km of new cycle paths and 19,000 additional bike parking spaces, cycling increased by 43% over the past five years, while traffic-related air pollution declined by an estimated 35%. Together, these changes show how integrating cultural action and mobility policy can deliver measurable environmental and social benefits.
Challenges, opportunities and transferability
Remaining barriers
Changing mobility habits remains a core challenge. Despite improved public transport services and new cycling infrastructure, many residents still default to car use – especially in suburban areas and during evening hours. The approach therefore relies on a pragmatic, incremental progress that focuses on building shared ownership, trust and public visibility.
Another limitation concerns funding and capacity. The city’s approach is resource-efficient but depends heavily on cross-departmental coordination and motivated personnel. Expanding these initiatives or replicating them on a metropolitan scale requires additional financial and strong institutional support.
Emerging opportunities
The cross-sectoral and cross-institutional collaboration between cultural and mobility departments has strengthened internal governance and demonstrated the value of shared strategy-making. Cultural organisations and artistic associations have proven enthusiastic partners, often acting as community ambassadors for sustainable mobility. Civic engagement and shared cultural experiences have proven effective drivers in reshaping perceptions of mobility choices.
What other cities can learn
The Bordeaux model is highly transferable to medium-sized cities with strong cultural assets but limited budgets for major transport investments. Its success lies in governance alignment, public engagement and overcoming siloed working. Other cities can adapt elements such as professional mobility survey training, event-based sustainable mobility promotion, cultural activation of public transport routes, and cross-sectoral and cross-institutional collaboration.
Ultimately, Bordeaux demonstrates that achieving sustainable urban mobility is not only a technical challenge but a cultural transformation, one that requires creativity, empathy, and continuous dialogue between the worlds of culture, mobility and everyday urban life.
In depth
[1] https://passculture.app/offre/100658978
[2] https://www.projet-rer-m.fr/
“My Street Breathes” initiative coverage
City of Bordeaux’s FAEE programme (Public funds supporting cultural and artistic pilot initiatives promoting social inclusion and sustainability in 2024-2025)
Ferroviaire Démocratique Study (2023)
Authors: Sophia Pechin & Carla Giaume
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.
Photo credits © City of Borfeaux, Leonid Andronov, SLOWFEST