Urban Mobility Days 2025

Urban Mobility Days is back for a new edition! From 30 September to 2 October 2025 in Vilnius, Lithuania, it will provide the perfect opportunity for networking, debating, and exchanging views on European urban mobility policy issues.

Urban Mobility Days (UMD) is the European Commission’s leading urban mobility policy conference, bringing together local and national authorities, EU policymakers, NGOs, researchers, and transport professionals. This year’s edition will be held in Vilnius, Lithuania, a city recognised for its sustainability leadership, and will explore how urban mobility can drive competitiveness, innovation, sustainability, and inclusion.

The conference will align with key EU priorities, including 'A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness' and 'Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model'. Discussions will be structured around daily themes with cross-cutting sessions on innovation and tourism.

Daily themes

30 September – Urban nodes:
How urban nodes connect local mobility with the TEN-T network to enhance connectivity, quality of life, and competitiveness across Europe.

1 October – Cycling:
From policy to practice: Integrating cycling into city infrastructure, logistics, and tourism, while advancing the European Declaration on Cycling.

2 October – Public Transport:
Public transport as a driver of equitable, sustainable urban development – bridging policy and practice to meet real-world mobility needs.

Cross-cutting Themes:

Tourism: Smart, green mobility that benefits both residents and visitors

Competitiveness & innovation: Supporting start-ups, clean tech, and employment in urban mobility sectors

Why attend?

Network with urban mobility leaders across Europe
Contribute to shaping future EU mobility policies
Discover best practices from cities and regions
Explore how mobility intersects with climate goals, economic growth, and social equity

POLIS in the spotlight

POLIS Secretary General Karen Vancluysen will moderate the plenary session of each day of the conference.

Day 1 plenary: Urban nodes boosting an efficient European Transport Network
- 30 September 2025 | 13:45-15:00
- This plenary explores how urban nodes are preparing for legal requirements on multimodality and clean transport, their cooperation and coordination, and their role in TEN-T governance.
- Featured speakers:
  - Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport within the European Commission
  - Françoise Guaspare, Representation of Île-de-France to the European Union
  - Minister for Transport and Communications of the Republic of Lithuania
  - David Vitezy, Chair of the Commitee on Transport, Urban Development and Climate at General Assembly of Budapest, Hungary
Day 2 plenary: Unlocking the potential of urban cycling: from policy to practice
- 1 October 2025 | 13:45-15:00
- With the European Declaration on Cycling in focus, this session looks at how data-driven planning, investment, and policy can improve cycling conditions, address transport poverty, support health, strengthen the cycling industry, and boost sustainable tourism.
- Featured speakers:
  - Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General for Mobility and Transport within the European Commission
  - Virginijus Sinkevičius, MEP
  - Vice Minister for Transport and Communications
  - Laurianne Krid, CEO European Cyclists’ Federation
  - Anna Lisa Boni, Deputy Mayor, City of Bologna
Day 3 plenary: Public transport at the heart of the urban mobility system
- 2 October 2025 | 13:45-15:00
- Reliable, efficient, and inclusive public transport is key to sustainable urban mobility. This session explores how authorities can enhance accessibility, tackle workforce shortages, and accelerate decarbonisation through investment, policy, urban planning, and innovation.
- Featured speakers:
  - Eric von Breska, Director DG MOVE, European Commission
  - Mohamed Mezghani, Secretary General, UITP (International Association of Public Transport)
  - Tanguy Desrousseaux, Head of Housing, Cities & Regions Department, Project Directorate, European Investment Bank
  - Loreta Levulytė-Staškevičienė, CEO at JUDU, Vilnius Mobility Agency
  - André Sobczak, Secretary General, Eurocities

POLIS members & staff at Urban Mobility Days 2025

Aside from the plenaries, POLIS staff and members will be featured in numerous sessions of the event. They are available in the list below.

Deployment of charging points in urban nodes
- 30 September 2025 | 15:30-16:45
- The session discusses the challenges faced by cities and regions in the deployment of electric vehicle recharging stations, showcasing useful tools and guidance
- Featured speakers:
  - Jens Müller, Deputy Director, Clean Cities Campaign, Transport & Environment (T&E)
  - Jan Šalanda, Senior Project Manager, E.ON SE, Energy Networks
  - Willem Van Heijningen, Strategy Director for the Department of Mobility and Public Space, City of Amsterdam
  - Zoltán Attila Fábián, E-Mobility Specialist, Department of Climate and Environment, Municipality of Budapest
  - Moderator: Pedro Gomes, Cluster Lead Clean Vehicles & Air Quality, POLIS
Cycling and tourism
- 1 October 2025 | 9:30-10:45
- This session shines a light on some of these best practice examples that get more tourists on two wheels as they explore their destination cities

- Featured speakers:
  - Agathe Daudibon, EuroVelo and Cycling Tourism Director, European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF)
  - W.J (Joost) de Kruijf, Director Knowledge & Innovation Lab Mobility Transitions, SmartwayZ.NL
  - Christian Tänzler, Spokesman, Berlin Tourism & Congress GmbH
  - Fabio Tat, Director Routebureau Brabant, BrabantPartners
  - Moderator: Andreia Lopes Azevedo, Active Travel & Health Cluster Lead, POLIS
Reinventing cycling: the perspective of women
- 1 October 2025 | 15:15-16:30
- This session delves into what gets women cycling. What are the benefits for everyone if more women feel empowered to go by bike? What are the specific needs and preferences when it comes to safety, infrastructure and bicycles?
- Featured speakers:
  - Julienne Chen, Head of City Partnerships, EIT Urban Mobility
  - Andreia Lopes Azevedo, Active Travel & Health Cluster Lead, POLIS
  - April Marshke, Founder, Outside Advice Consulting
  - Maud de Vries, CEO, BYCS
  - Moderator: Philip Amaral, Director of Policy and Development, European Cyclists Federation (ECF)
Ensuring public transport accessibility, affordability and availability for all
- 2 October 2025 | 9:30-10:45
- This session examines the role of public transport in supporting integrated, multimodal solutions and seamless connections between rural areas and urban centres.
- Featured speakers:
  - Philip Freeman, Policy Officer for Urban Public Transport and Mobility, European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF)
  - Pedro Homem de Gouveia, Senior Policy Advisor, POLIS
  - Tiina Ruohonen, Innovation Team Lead, Office of the Governing Mayor, City of Oslo
  - Minna Soininen, Director, Finnish Public Transport Association
  - Moderator: Luana Bidasca, Policy Officer, European Commission, Directorate-General for Climate action (DG CLIMA), Unit B5, Social Climate Fund and ETS2 Implementation
Urban mobility and public transport at the core of the new EU agenda for cities
- 2 October 2025 | 11:30-12:45
- This session provides an opportunity to discuss the place of urban mobility and, more particularly, public transport within this ambitious policy agenda for cities.
- Featured speakers:
  - Gaetana Manganiello, Senior Manager, International Association of Public Transport (UITP)
  - Lauren Probst, General Manager, Île-de-France Mobilités
  - Lars Strömgren, Vice Mayor for Transport and Urban Environment, City of Stockholm
  - Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General, POLIS
  - Moderator: Isabelle Vandoorne, Acting Head of Unit, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), European Commission
Better connectivity between urban areas and the outskirts
- 2 October 2025 | 15:15-16:30
- This session explores strategies to maximise the potential of suburban public transport systems, with discussions on integrated solutions to considerably improve public transport services for people living or working in the outskirts.
- Featured speakers:
  - Ivo Cré, Director Policy and Projects, POLIS
  - Edouard Fleury, Senior Policy Officer in Territorial Cooperation, Lille Metropole (MEL)
  - Thomas Geier, Secretary General, European Metropolitan Transport Authorities (EMTA)
  - Teofil Gherca, URBACT Programme Director, National Agency for Territorial Cohesion (France)
  - George Xenokratis, Senior Manager, EU Public Policy, Bolt
  - Moderator: Vanessa Holve, Senior Expert, Sustainable Mobility, ICLEI Europe