Budapest and behavioural science platform Nudgd win European urban mobility awards

Budapest (Hungary) and Nudgd (Helsingborg, Sweden) were announced as the respective winners of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK award and the MOBILITYACTION award. The awards recognise activities conducted in 2023.

Budapest (Hungary) – winner of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2023

The jury selected the City of Budapest (Hungary) for its ambitious car-free weekend (16 - 17 September), which counted 10,000 participants, and Car-Free Day (22 September). During the Car-Free Day, the Mayor of Budapest unveiled comprehensive plans on the latter for the construction of a new pedestrian area along the Danube embankment. In close cooperation with the City of Vienna, Budapest also hosted a public event to promote best practice in walking and cycling policies, as well as discussions on how to 'Save Energy' in the transport sector in partnership with the Centre for Budapest Transport (BKK).

The other finalists were Amadora (Portugal) and Innsbruck (Austria).

Nudgd (Helsingborg, Sweden) - winner of the MOBILITYACTION Award 2023

Nudgd, an innovative online platform leveraging behavioural science to promote sustainable school travel in Helsingborg, impressed the jury with its interactive approach to encourage students, parents and teachers to use active travel. Some 2,400 parents, guardians and school staff from 25 schools engaged with the platform, which gently ‘nudged’ them via smart tips, interactive maps and quizzes to encourage interest in - and show the benefits of - active commuting. During the pilot phase, almost 40% of participants changed, or planned to change, to a more active mode of transport, exceeding the target of 30%. The platform supports the City of Helsingborg’s goals to step up cycling, and promote safer, more sustainable travel.

The other finalists were GSK (Wavre, Belgium) and Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg mbH (NVBW) (Germany).

The awards were presented in Brussels at an event hosted by the European Commission.

European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, said: 

“I applaud this year’s winners and finalists for their truly innovative thinking in saving energy through mobility, redesigning the public space in creative ways, as well as the online space. Cities are our best laboratories for the mobility of tomorrow. I also want to salute the 8 Ukrainian towns and cities that participated in the 2023 European Mobility Week. My thoughts are with all the other Ukrainian towns and cities (76) that have taken part in previous European Mobility Weeks. I hope they will soon be able to join again.”

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK runs from 16 - 22 September every year, providing towns and cities with an opportunity to host a car-free day for all, accompanied by activities and innovative planning measures to promote new infrastructure and raise awareness of sustainable mobility options, such as public transport, walking and cycling. The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK award recognises municipalities that have excelled in promoting sustainable urban mobility during the campaign main week.

MOBILITYACTIONs can be registered all year round by different organisations to showcase mobility management plans, share good practice examples and promote behavioural change in favour of sustainable mobility options. Mobility management plans can save fuel, improve air quality, and raise overall quality of life in Europe’s urban areas. The MOBILITYACTION award was launched by the European Commission in 2022 to acknowledge excellence in mobility management planning solutions submitted by businesses, civil society organisations, institutions, or local administrations throughout 2023. 

The annual theme for both awards was ‘Save Energy.’

In 2023, a record-breaking number of 3,351 towns and cities from 45 countries registered their participation in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK. Some 875 MOBILITYACTIONs were registered by businesses, civil society organisations, institutions, and local administrations.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.mobilityweek.eu.