Are We Charting or Changing the Course?

Stockholm is setting new benchmarks in urban sustainability, from pioneering zero-emission zones to driving advancements in clean vehicles and micromobility. We talk to Lars Strömgren, who shares the city’s key innovations and challenges in its mission toward climate neutrality.

Interview with Lars Strömgren, elaborated by Alessia Giorgiutti. 

POLIS: Stockholm has led the way in promoting cleaner vehicles for years. Could you share some of the city’s latest advancements in this area and how they align with the European Green Deal and Cities Mission objectives?

Lars Strömgren: The City fleet has, for some time, consisted entirely of clean vehicles (running on electricity or sustainable biofuels), and we have won a national competition for the best ‘clean vehicle municipality’ annually for ten consecutive years! The fleet comprises approximately 1,000 vehicles, half of which are vans. We actively promote the use of cargo bikes in our operations; for instance, a team of cycling maintenance workers is employed to monitor the conditions of our cycle paths.

Our travel policy prioritises walking, cycling, and use of public transport. From 2025, employees using their own vehicles for city business will only be eligible for compensation if their vehicles meet clean vehicle criteria.

The City administration has also procured an electric carpool service, which is available for public use. Stockholm makes it easy to drive electric vehicles, thanks to our systematic planning of charging streets and the assistance and information we have provided to private housing associations. Much of this work was initiated with the help of EU grants through projects such as GrowSmarter (which demonstrated ‘12 smart city solutions’ in energy, infrastructure and transport) and CIVITAS Eccentric (which focused on sustainable mobility in peripheral areas and innovative urban freight logistics)

The City includes clean vehicle requirements in all procurement contracts for transport services and, in recent years, has extended these requirements to construction machinery and equipment. All handheld equipment—both City-owned and externally procured—is now electric. We have established fossil-free, fully electric construction sites, with more planned in the near future!

POLIS: Urban freight is a complex sector for sustainable mobility. Can you tell us about Stockholm’s recent innovations in this area, including the development of Zero-Emission Zones, and how you envision these measures scaling up to support broader EU climate neutrality goals?

Stockholm’s e-car, Lieselotte van der Meijs

Strömgren: Environmental zones regulating the types of heavy vehicles permitted to enter Stockholm have been in place since 1996 and have played a crucial role in improving air quality. We are about to launch a new clean vehicle zone, with stricter requirements for all vehicle types—this will improve local air quality and reduce traffic in the city centre, making this key district more attractive to residents and visitors.

We have also introduced a range of other measures—such as low-traffic areas and summer streets in the Old Town and other districts—that reduce traffic and reallocate public space for other uses or sustainable modes of transport. At the same time, creating an attractive city requires services that meet all needs, including freight movements.

In our Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), we prioritise walking, cycling, and public transport, followed by freight, ahead of private motor vehicles.

Our new Sustainable Urban Logistics Plan (SULP) outlines the challenges we aim to address and identifies potential solutions. Significant progress has been made in recent years, often supported by EU funding through projects such as CIVITAS Eccentric. These efforts have enabled us to issue permits for companies providing clean and quiet night deliveries in central districts.

Similarly, we have developed innovative approaches to improve construction logistics. For example, waterborne transport is now used to move heavy materials from construction sites to terminals for processing and reuse, thereby avoiding truck-based land transport.

POLIS: At the end of this year, Stockholm will launch its first zero-emission zone, an Environmental Zone Class 3 within the area of Kungsgatan, Birger Jarlsgatan, Hamngatan, and Sveavägen. Were there any challenges or opposition to implementing this zone? If so, how did you address them?

Strömgren: Yes, there have been many challenges. We are the first city in Sweden to implement this type of zone, and there has been uncertainty about how to apply the legislation and the implications of its implementation.

For example, although some vehicles are prohibited from driving within the zone, they are still permitted to park there, as parking is regulated by separate legislation. Additional rule changes are required to achieve overall greater policy coherence.

Nonetheless, we have chosen to take the lead and demonstrate ways to apply the legislation. This has not been popular with everyone; there has been some very vocal opposition from certain interest groups. However, surveys suggest that the majority of Stockholm residents support the decision, and we have strong backing from significant sections of the local business community.

We have spent a lot of time informing stakeholders about our plans and sought to involve a wide range of actors in the planning process. This includes launching various new initiatives, such as our local flagship project, STOLT.

Through this initiative, the City is working alongside civil society actors, businesses, and other key actors to develop solutions that address or pre-empt challenges before they become major issues. These efforts include, for example, new initiatives to consolidate transport services.

POLIS: Stockholm has worked with micromobility providers to promote sustainable and accessible transport options. How do these partnerships fit into your overall mobility strategy, and what approaches are you taking to address public space usage, safety, and regulatory compliance?

Cycling in Stockholm, Svetlana Jonson

Strömgren: Micromobility complements active mobility and public transport, and we have worked in partnership with micromobility companies to address challenges such as regulating parking and speed. We take issues related to public space usage, safety, and regulatory compliance seriously; however, these concerns also apply to other users of our street space.

We see significant potential for better service integration across modes and, in particular, aim to encourage greater uptake of sustainable transport modes by users of less sustainable alternatives. Ideally, micromobility companies and other mobility providers will enhance their service offerings to appeal to private car users. This would encourage private car users to adopt alternative services, rather than shifting from active modes or public transport to micromobility.

POLIS: As a leader in the EU Cities Mission, Stockholm has ambitious climate neutrality targets. What are the key challenges and opportunities in reaching these goals, and how essential is cooperation across European cities in this effort?

Strömgren: To have a chance of reaching our goals, it is key that we, together with other cities, the industry, and civil society, work towards a joint commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, and innovation, and continue striving to drive significant progress.

We are at a crucial juncture in influencing future policy and driving the transition at the EU level for years to come, and it is vital that our voices are heard. By working together, we are stronger and achieve better, more impactful results.

One key challenge is securing funding for our initiatives. Cities need a direct and reliable link between the EU and the local level to sustain innovation, progress, and solutions.

This issue is shared by many cities. Therefore, I am confident that our cooperation is part of the solution.

POLIS: With major policies like the Green Deal and TEN-T obligations shaping urban mobility, what additional support do cities like Stockholm need from the next European Parliament and Commission? What message would you like to convey to EU leaders to help accelerate and scale up the local implementation of these ambitious European goals?

Strömgren: Cities are at the forefront of driving change. It is clear that cities offer unique perspectives in identifying, understanding, and addressing challenges, and they play a crucial role in accelerating the EU’s efforts towards enhanced global competitiveness, green and digital transformation, and independent global supply chains.

Stockholm, like many other cities across Europe, faces challenges as national policies are often developed in ways that inadvertently hinder progress towards ambitious goals in electrification, traffic reduction, and modal split shift.

Therefore, we need the EU level to support cities by developing policy and enforcement instruments that consider the urban dimension of mobility and empower local authorities to implement changes that improve citizens’ lives.

I also want to emphasise the importance of adhering to the EU’s existing goals and ensuring that ambitions are not compromised in their implementation.

POLIS: Moreover, are there any other European cities that inspire the work of Stockholm in mobility?

Strömgren: We do look to our friends and colleagues in other cities all the time, but at the moment, I am particularly inspired by Barcelona. This feeling has grown especially after collaborating during the Eurocities Shadow Commission Event in October in Strasbourg. Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, and I shared the mobility portfolio and had many engaging and insightful conversations.

Click here to read the article in its original format. 

About the contributors: 

Interviewee: Lars Strömgren, Vice-Mayor for Transport and Urban Environment, City of Stockholm. Strömgren is Vice-Mayor for Transport and Urban Environment for the City of Stockholm, serving a Red/Green majority coalition. He is vice chair of the Eurocities Mobility Forum. Strömgren is 43 years old and lives in central Stockholm. He is passionate about architecture, urban planning, music and choral singing. He can often be found riding through the city on one of his bikes.

Interviewer: Alessia Giorgiutti, Communications & Membership Lead & Co-Coordinator Just Transition at POLIS. Giorgiutti coordinates POLIS' corporate communications and magazine and has been involved in several EU-funded projects as a Communications Manager. She currently supports other managers and officers on tasks related to content production and communication for their projects. Her work focuses on making accessible and inclusive content about transport, as well as highlighting the experiences of marginalised users.