New European network vitalises Europe’s 88 urban nodes

With the implementation of TEN-T, the 88 urban areas along the corridors experience higher volumes freight traffic. Despite its positive outcomes, the increased traffic volume leads to urban/peri-urban congestion, poor air quality, exposure to noise and road safety risks. To mitigate such negative consequences. To reduce such adverse effects, VitalNodes brings together existing European, national and regional networks in a network of networks. Within the project,  Europe’s city leaders, urban planners, infrastructure manager and logistics sector networks will discuss how the economic, social and environmental vitality of the urban nodes could be improved.

VitalNodes will combine the TEN-T related goals - such as European interconnection - and the objectives of sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs) which ensure sustainable transport development within cities. Based on the innovative NUVit approach it will facilitate the integration of the three relevant scales (corridor, regional/peri-urban and local/intra-urban) on six dimensions: spatial, network, time, value, institutional and implementation.

VitalNodes will support the deployment of innovations in the European 88 ‘urban nodes’, starting in Vienna. It will deliver evidence-based recommendations for efficient and sustainable integration of all 88 urban nodes into the TEN-T network corridors, addressing specifically the multi- and the intermodal connection between long-distance and last-mile freight logistics. It will also establish a long-lasting European expert network based on existing (inter)national and regional networks for safeguarding long-term continuity in knowledge and implementation.

The VitalNodes project is funded by the EU’s Horizon2020 R&D Programme and will run for 24 months, starting on 1 November 2017. The consortium consists of

• Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment (project lead)
• Transport administrations (Rijkswaterstaat/NL, Trafiverket/SE, Flemish Spatial Planning Authority/BE)
• City  networks (Polis and EUROCITIES, Urban Innovation Vienna)
• Corridor organisations (EGTC Rhine Alpine Corridor/DE)
• Project consultancies (Uniresearch, Ecorys/NLand Rupprecht Consult/DE).