Cerema’s guide on the 'Plan de mobilité simplifié' is now available in English
An invaluable strategic tool for organising mobility in medium-sized towns and rural areas, the French ‘Plan de mobilité simplifié’ (PDMS) sets a precious example for other countries. Thanks to the English translation of Cerema's guide on the PDMS the know-how of the major French public agency in the field is now accessible to a wider public.
The Centre for Studies and Expertise on Risks, the Environment, Mobility and Urban Planning (Cerema) is the major French public agency committed to developing public expertise in the fields of urban planning, regional cohesion, and ecological and energy transition for resilient and climate-neutral cities and regions. Drawing on its unique high-level expertise in the sphere of mobility, Cerema has developed an extensive methodology guide to support local stakeholders willing to step up the organisation of sustainable local mobility by adopting a 'Plan de mobilité simplifié' (PDMS), which translates to 'Simplified Mobility Plan'.
What is a 'Plan de mobilité simplifié'?
The PDMS is a voluntary plan intended for French mobility organising authorities that do not fall under the formal obligation of producing a Mobility Plan (what we know as a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, SUMP). The PDMS was introduced in 2019 to replace the former Rural Mobility Plans, taking up the same objective of guiding and boosting the development of sustainable mobility solutions in smaller territories.
This strategic planning tool is meant to respond to the unique environmental, social, and economic challenges of medium-sized towns (with a population of approximately 20,000 to 100,000) and rural areas when it comes to mobility. In these areas, private motorised vehicles often account for the largest share of everyday travel, and alternative mobility solutions remain limited or insufficiently incentivised.
A carefully developed and efficiently deployed PDMS can help local stakeholders leverage the great potential that such under-exploited solutions hold for their territories. Here is where Cerema's guide steps in.
What to expect from the guide
Cerema's guide, originally published in French and now also available in English translation, supports local stakeholders looking to implement a PDMS along the full process, from initial development to post-implementation evaluation and assessment.
Opening with an overview of the unique mobility challenges faced by rural areas and medium-sized towns, the guide describes the general principles, development process and possible content of an effective PDMS.
Moreover, Cerema's guide comes with a summary sheet (in French) setting out the basic elements needed to understand the challenges of the plan, which can be extremely valuable to inform the discussion with relevant stakeholders who are not mobility experts.
Access the English translation of the guide here.
