Workshop description:

This session explores how cities can develop low-emission zones (LEZs) that balance the complex needs of reducing emissions, supporting economic vitality, and ensuring social equity. Beginning with insights from Riga’s LEZ journey, the session highlights real-world challenges — such as preventing gentrification, supporting small businesses, and achieving measurable environmental impact — and invites perspectives from leading European cities tackling similar issues. Through expert presentations and dynamic roundtable discussions, participants will explore practical strategies and hear diverse approaches to designing LEZs that are both effective and inclusive.

Objective:

• This workshop aims to equip participants with practical strategies and diverse perspectives to design low-emission zones (LEZs) that effectively balance environmental, social, and economic priorities. By examining real-world challenges, sharing best practices, and engaging in dynamic roundtable discussions, the session fosters collaborative problem-solving and actionable insights to create LEZs that are both inclusive and impactful.

Speakers:

• Mihails Potihonins, Lead Project Manager at Development Planning Unit of Mobility Planning Division, Riga City Council - City Development Department
• Ian Catlow, Head of Office, London’s European Office
• Pedro Javier Fernández López, Head of the Department for Urbanism, Environment, and Mobility Projects, Madrid City Council
• Louise Duprez, Project Manager Sustainable Mobility, Brussels Environment

Workshop description:

This session will explore strategies to enhance safety and mobility in dense urban intersections and streets where both vulnerable road users (VRUs)—including pedestrians, cyclists, children, the elderly, and people with additional support needs—and high volumes of vehicular traffic converge.

Key solutions include reallocating road and parking space to build dedicated bicycle paths, improve pedestrian infrastructure, and give priority to public transport. These adjustments aim to support safer, more accessible travel for non-motorized users.

Additionally, the session will focus on traffic calming measures and the implementation of 30 km/h speed limits in critical areas to reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions, creating a safer environment for everyone.

By emphasising these integrated approaches, the session aims to illustrate how cities can design safer, more efficient intersections that meet the needs of all users.

Objectives:

• Explore successful best practices from cities that have effectively improved safety and accessibility for vulnerable road users in high-traffic areas and reduced vehicle speeds or volumes on a street or specific area.

Speakers:

• Elīna Kirilko, Head of Development Planning Unit of Mobility Planning Division of Riga City Council, City Development Department - Presenting JUST STREETS and CIVITAS Replication and Deployment Programme
• Marko Velzek, Deputy Head of Municipal Governance, Transport, and Safety, Zagreb – Redesign of hhigh traffic intersection Selska and Horvaćanska Streets (REALLOCATE)
• Kevin van der Linden, Strategic Advisor Mobility - Urban Development Department, Rotterdam –Redesign Coolsinger, 30km/h policy, and circulation plan for traffic calming
• Pierre Soulard, Director of Infrastructures and Mobility Operations, Lyon Métropole – New parking policy, 30km/h policy (REALLOCATE)

Workshop description:

Cities across Europe are increasingly experimenting with multimodal hubs for passengers and goods and how they can be augmented or rethought to offer more complementary and enabling services to urban mobility beyond the basic trip offer. In this, local authorities often seek new collaborations with other governance layers, private companies and associations, many times in adjacent or unrelated domains to the primary urban transport sector. At the same time the new TEN-T regulation requires Urban Nodes to develop a multimodal passenger hub by 2030. In this session we will explore the ongoing practices in terms of multimodal hub developments from the MOVE21, SCALE-UP and UPPER projects, how cities are enabling collaborations between public transport and shared mobility services, and recommendations on how to move forward.

Objectives:

• The workshop aims at drawing lessons learned on current practices in terms of multimodal hub pilots and network developments.
• The workshop will provide practical recommendations on how to move forward in testing hubs and developing strategies and guidelines for hub networks.

Speakers

• Tim Neugebauer, Policy Advisor - Mobility Coordinator, City of Mannheim - UPPER
• Lorenza Dell’Erba, Metropolitan City of Bologna - MOVE21
• Suzanne Green, Project Manager, EU projects, City of Gothenburg - MOVE21

Workshop description:

This workshop invites Eurocities members to discuss two key aspects of mobility data: accessibility and privacy. As cities use data to improve urban mobility and logistics, balancing the need for accessible, shared data with strong privacy protections has become essential. This session will focus on practical approaches cities can take to make mobility and logistics data more accessible for public use and policy-making, while also safeguarding citizens' privacy.

Through insights from experienced speakers and collaborative discussions, participants will gain a clearer understanding of how to approach these challenges. This workshop will explore ways to ensure data can effectively support mobility improvements while maintaining public trust.

Objectives:

• Explore practical approaches to safeguarding privacy within urban mobility data.
• Examine how mobility data can support efficient, dynamic management of urban logistics networks.
• Discuss best practices for improving accessibility and usability of mobility data for city services and citizens.

Speakers:

• Gemma Schepers, Amsterdam - Chair of Digital and Automated Mobility (DAM) Working Group
• Edgars Indriksons, Head of Data (CDO) at Riga Digital Agency (Digital Twin for Mobility)
• Valter Ferreira, Urban Technology and Smart Cities Expert, Lisbon
• Eveline van Hooijdonk, Project Lead for Logistics, Ghent

Workshop description:

This interactive workshop explores innovative approaches for overcoming urban logistics challenges within Low-Emission Zones (LEZs) and Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVARs). Using real-life case studies and hands-on strategy building, participants will engage with four collaborative models—Soloist, Singer, Band, and Orchestra (see this Paper for insights into the four models). They will then co-design hybrid solutions, drawing on the strengths of each model to create practical, adaptable strategies.

Objectives:

• Explore and understand the four models of collaboration (Soloist, Singer, Band, and Orchestra)
• Engage with real-world case studies to learn how cities and companies across Europe are advancing sustainable logistics
• Build a multi-model strategy by blending elements from each approach to address the unique needs of cities
• Identify ideas, solutions, and policies for implementing zero-emission logistics effectively

Workshop description:

Urban transport planning shapes people’s ability to access essential services, employment, and education. However, traditional approaches often overlook the needs of marginalised communities, those with mobility challenges, and low-income groups. This workshop emphasises the role of collaborative practices to integrate social equity into urban transport planning.

The session will include a dynamic mix of presentations, group discussions, and polls. Participants will explore key challenges, brainstorm innovative solutions, and learn from city best practices. Through collaborative activities, attendees will delve into the concept of Mobility as a Right, discuss transport poverty, and share experiences from their cities to foster more equitable and inclusive transport systems.

Objectives:

• Discuss the concepts of Mobility as a Right and transport poverty, referencing findings from the Transport Poverty report commissioned by DG EMPL.
• Examine three specific challenges related to transport poverty and collaboratively brainstorm solutions.
• Take the pulse from participating cities on how the topic is being discussed and addressed in their administration
• Introduce the Social Climate Fund and explore its role in supporting equity-focused transport initiatives.

Speakers:

• Dr. Viktoria Noka, Senior Researcher – OEKO
• Gunta Anca, European Disability Forum (EDF) Vice-President and Chairperson at The Latvian Umbrella Body for Disability Organisations – SUSTENTO, Latvia
• John Kirstein, Chair of the AGE Platform Task Force on Age-Friendly Environments

Workshop description:

This training session will introduce a practical toolbox for driving behavioural change, developed from the SCALE-UP project’s tested measures. Participants will gain insights into the theoretical concepts behind behavioural shifts and explore key factors that trigger desired changes, such as incentive nudges, price-based strategies, infrastructure improvements, and enhancements to digital offerings to make them more user-friendly and accessible.

The session will also address the challenges of measuring behavioural changes and delve into what motivates people to transition from private car use to more integrated, multimodal solutions. By showcasing real-world examples from various cities, the session will provide a clear understanding of what strategies have proven effective—and which have not—in fostering sustainable urban mobility.

Objectives:

• Understand how to design and implement measures supporting behavioural change
• Take away lessons learned from tested measures within the SCALE-UP project
• Look at what type of incentives or nudges most likely succeed

Speakers:

• Florian Becker, Project Coordinator – Mobility, Eurocities
• Michiel Penne, Smart Ways to Antwerp Coordinator, City of Antwerp
• Stella Aaltonen, Project Manager, City of Turku
• Pedro Javier Fernández López, Head of the Department for Urbanism, Environment, and Mobility Projects, Madrid City Council

Workshop description:

As Europe moves towards the deployment of Cooperative, Connected, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) technologies, it is becoming increasingly clear that while not every city may adopt shared CCAM solutions, there is a pressing need to prepare urban environments for the transformative impact of these disruptive technologies. Ensuring that CCAM technologies best serve the population requires careful consideration of several interconnected factors, such as aligning and enhancing physical, digital, and communications infrastructure, creating use cases that address real citizens' needs, and engaging with the public to ensure their needs and voices are reflected in the development of services. Drawing insights from the SHOW project, this session will explore the critical elements that cities must address to successfully deploy CCAM, based on real-world examples from Riga, and other European cities. The cities will provide valuable lessons on how infrastructure, citizen engagement, and tailored solutions can come together to shape the future of urban mobility.

Objectives:

• Understand the role of harmonised regulatory frameworks for the successful deployment of CCAM.
• Discuss how cities are engaging stakeholders and the public to ensure the responsible integration of CCAM.
• Share available learning materials and resources from the SHOW project that can help cities navigate these challenges and enhance their CCAM initiatives.

Speakers:

• Sergio Fernandez Balaguer, EMT Madrid, Vice-Chair of the DAM Working Group
• Viesturs Celmiņš, Managing Director of innovation movement/NGO VEFResh, Riga
• Helmut Augustin, Head of the Coordination Unit for Digitization, City of Vienna
• Suzanne Green, Project Manager, EU projects, City of Gothenburg

Route map

Join a walking tour to explore the planned and ongoing infrastructure developments related to Rail Baltica in Riga. Starting from the future multimodal hub in the Torņakalns neighbourhood, participants will visit the newly redeveloped Victory Park and continue toward the city centre to observe key infrastructure being developed as part of the Rail Baltica project. The highlight of the tour will be the extensive construction site around Riga Central Station.

Route map

This walking tour along the "Knowledge Mile" highlights recent pedestrian infrastructure developments on the left bank of the Daugava River. Participants will explore a new bridge over Kīleveina Ditch, witness the Mukusālas Street Promenade under construction, and enjoy panoramic views of the Old Town. The tour concludes at the Riga Technical University (RTU) Campus on Ķīpsala Peninsula, a testbed for innovative pilot projects. The tour emphasises connectivity between university campuses on the left bank.

The tour concludes at the Riga Technical University (RTU) Campus on Ķīpsala Peninsula, a testbed for innovative pilot projects, where participants will get to see Smart Zone for urban logistics parking piloted by Coding the Curbs project and an electric scooter built designed for cargo transportation created by a start-up called Bruntor.

Route map

This bus tour begins with a visit to the 2^nd Trolleybus Depot, featuring a hydrogen station for public and private transport. From there, participants will travel to the 7^th Bus Depot, one of Riga’s major facilities, where they will observe bus maintenance processes, dispatch operations, and the newly developed electric bus charging stations.

Route map

This walking tour of Riga’s historical centre provides insights into urban design, including 30 km/h zones and street typologies, as explained by local architects. The route covers lesser-known but significant sights and new urban developments, such as LEZ-related infrastructure and the Magdalēnas Kvartāls residential block. Minor deviations along the route will allow visitors to explore key points of interest in the everyday life of Riga’s citizens.

Route map

For visitors ready to brave Riga’s early spring weather, this cycling tour offers a unique perspective on the streets bordering the upcoming Low-Emission Zone (LEZ), set to launch by 2027. Depending on the weather conditions, the tour may include minor route adjustments to either shorten or extend the ride.