Call name: Changing urban spaces and mindsets to accelerate the transition to climate neutrality
Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:
- Development and implementation of solutions for a smart urban public space design and physical infrastructure planning and management across different areas related to the transport and integrated energy systems, which enable the integration of mobility services within the city and its street network and layout.
- Mobility and/or energy solutions that respond to people’s and cities’ needs co-designed with local authorities, citizens, and stakeholders, tested and implemented in cities to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.
- Raise awareness on the potential of this policy area to support urban public space revitalization and reallocation as well as more economically viable and resilient urban environments.
- Improvement of public health with better local air quality, reducing the urban overheating and pollutant emissions (air and noise), with better conditions and infrastructure for active modes and increased liveability.
- Improve overall urban public space connectivity and the accessibility of different urban districts/neighbourhoods/industrial districts by integrating/embedding multimodality and shared services within the street/urban public space layout and infrastructure.
- More efficient and fair use of urban space through the dynamic management of space in general and of the curb side in particular, according to varying needs and functions, and with the help of digital tools.
- Contribution to a better use of vehicles (in particular public transport and active modes for passengers and for urban logistics), better use of car parking spaces for other usages, prioritising modes and shared mobility services which have the smallest impact on the public domain and environment.
- Reducing the pressure on public space thanks to reduced parking needs and integration of off-street space use in the overall public space concept.
- Creation of smart energy and/or transport services management in cities thanks to digitalisation and consumer awareness related to smart charging and energy demand response.
- Improving the planning of green infrastructures/green city zones, enhancing their capability to increase human restoration and well-being.
- Better preparedness of citizens and urban planners to shift from fossil to renewable energy and energy system integration to allow electrifying mobility, in ways that optimise the use of public space and budgets.
Scope:
The proposal should address the question on how to deal with limited urban public space and conflicting demands for it between transport and other users, considering social and climate goals and the need to shift towards more energy efficient and sustainable modes of transport, decarbonisation of the heating and cooling infrastructures.
Each proposal should envisage pilot demonstrations in at least three cities (lead cities) situated each in a different Member State or Associated Country including both urban and sub-urban areas. Proposals should provide the necessary evidence of the cities’ commitment to test and implement the co-designed solutions. To foster replicability and up-taking of the outcomes, each proposal should also engage at least three replication/follower cities with the development of local replication plans. The size and characteristics of the cities should be considered. Each proposal should include at least one city of the 112 selected ones for the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities for the lead cities and one for the replication/follower cities.
The pilots should involve a co-design process with the stakeholders concerned by the re-design of the urban space. The pilots should involve public and private local energy, mobility and industrial stakeholders as well as civil society to identify integrated, locally supported and space-saving solutions and related pre-conditions (incentives, participatory methods, etc.) in a change management process to gain public acceptance by information, participation and consideration of groups that were so far disadvantaged by existing conditions.
Demonstrations should be ‘digital by default’ and use Local Digital Twins and, where possible, Mobility Data Spaces as tools for optimizing traffic, improving mobility services, monitoring environmental benefits in air and noise, and modelling a better use of urban space.
