Gdańsk to build upon the increased popularity of electromobility

The Polish coastal city of Gdańsk has seen a surge in the popularity of electromobility. In response, the city's authorities are developing an electromobility strategy, with the active involvement of its residents through a participatory process.

In Gdańsk, electromobility has been the subject of a significant increase in visibility, both in the media and in the everyday conversations of its residents. This provides the backdrop to the development of the electromobility plan of the city of Gdańsk. The local government is also planning to invest in a zero-emission fleet of public transport vehicles, as well as providing the infrastructure for the recharging of electric vehicles.

Currently, a draft of the strategy for the development of electromobility in the city, including its vision until 2035, is being developed with a public consultation. To ensure that the strategy will account both for the expectations and needs of residents, the public consultation, which is taking place between 27 May and 16 June, aims to gather opinions on a wide range of relevant issues.

The Mayor of Gdańsk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, highlights that residents are, and will continue to be, at the centre of the city’s urban mobility planning. In a call for the participation of its constituents, she stated, “Our vision is for a city gathering people who shape the future together, which is why I encourage you to actively participate in consultations. We want to know your opinion”.

The strategy has a two-fold purpose of improving air quality and of changing the transport habits of Gdańsk’s inhabitants, with positive spillover effects on the overall quality of life in, and the attractiveness of, the city. The envisioned actions include the creation of a zero-emission bus fleet, the development of an electric bike system, the promotion of sustainable mobility and the use of zero-emission, or low-powered, vehicles in the fleet used by the municipality's services.

The focus on electromobility fits in well with the overall strategic sustainable development of the city’s transport system. As voiced by Piotr Grzelak, deputy mayor for sustainable development, “Gdańsk is a model city when it comes to bicycle transport, which makes us very happy. Now our priority is to increase the potential of electromobility and to encourage residents to use its solutions”.

The public consultation included two online meetings, which took place on 27 May and 3 June. The public consultation process is still ongoing with residents able to express their views through a survey and a 'comments' form, available at the city’s official website.