Winners of the European Urban Mobility Awards announced

Braga (Portugal) and Metropolia GZM (Poland) snatched the titles of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK award 2022 and the first-ever MOBILITYACTION award, respectively, at the MOBILITYAWARDS ceremony in Ghent.

A well-deserved special mention was also bestowed on Chernihiv, Kamianets-Podilskiy, Lviv, Poltava and Uzhhorod (Ukraine) for their participation in the 2022 campaign despite the ongoing war.

The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2022

The EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award recognises local authorities that have excelled in raising awareness about sustainable urban mobility. The award is directly related to local authorities’ active participation in the campaign, which includes (1) organising activities focused on sustainable mobility during the main event week from 16-22 September, (2) implementing one or more permanent transport measures, and (3) holding a ‘Car-Free Day’. In order to apply for this award, local authorities must have completed the three criteria mentioned above.

Braga impressed the jury with its commitment to raise awareness on sustainable mobility with many stakeholders, including universities, local businesses and residents. During the campaign’s main event week, from 16 - 22 September, the Portuguese city worked with over one hundred companies to open streets for pedestrian use and construct interactive green spaces. A “Mobility Safari” involving 30 companies was also held to illustrate the importance of decarbonisation and the impact of sustainable mobility in advancing this goal. Active mobility activities for all ages - such as gymnastics and cycling - were organised to spread awareness on the benefits of sustainable mobility. The city also launched the first phase of implementation for its bike-share service.

The other finalists were Sofia (Bulgaria) and Zagreb (Croatia).

The MOBILITYACTION Award 2022

In 2022, the European Commission introduced the MOBILITYACTION Award. The award places a spotlight on the campaign’s MOBILITYACTIONs, which are open to civil society organisations, businesses, citizen initiatives, educational institutions and municipalities promoting sustainable mobility throughout the year.  In particular, the MOBILITYACTION award rewards participants that demonstrate excellence in Mobility Management, including mobility plans, as well as measures and strategies which have a notable impact on sustainable mobility.

The MOBILITYACTION jury selected Metropolia GZM for its comprehensive approach to transforming a local university car park into a green, pedestrian-friendly space. Engaging professionals from the public transport, cycling, social development, sustainable mobility and urban policy sectors, the Polish metropolis co-created a car-park transformation that would not only benefit the university, but would also decrease related traffic and encourage locals to use the space. Urban furniture and greenery were installed, as well as traffic calming measures. The first reports show more people from on- and off-campus frequenting the area. Urban designers are currently conducting interviews to better understand how to remove all ground-level parking spots and implement accessible public transport solutions across the campus.

The other finalists were Ar2gether (Rome, Italy) and UCB Pharma (Braine L'Alleud, Belgium).

Learn more about the award winners on EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award and MOBILITYACTION Award pages.

The 2023 award application cycle will open soon after the conclusion of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK on 22 September 2023.