No one left behind: Cities and regions commit to work together for a just mobility transition

PRESS RELEASE

GOTHENBURG, 1 December 2021 – The Annual POLIS Conference is gathering over 600 urban mobility experts and practitioners in Gothenburg, Sweden, for two days of debates and exchanges on innovation in local transport.

Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city, and home to the biggest port in the Nordic region, is a global leader in innovative, sustainable and inclusive mobility, and therefore the ideal venue for the event.

Kristina Lindfors, Director General of the Urban Transport Administration in the City of Gothenburg, said: "The POLIS Conference is an excellent opportunity to discuss and exchange knowledge on the enormous challenges facing our urban environments and transport systems. Gothenburg will continue to lead the way as an active international partner in the work to develop and implement sustainable mobility solutions, with the aim to be one of Europe’s 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030."

The first day of the event features technical discussions on topics spanning from the future of public transport to AI in transport, mobility data and the ‘15 minute city’. The Opening Plenary session will highlight the importance of public-private cooperation for policy-responsive and mission-driven innovation. The European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, will deliver an opening speech.

On the second day of the event, discussions will focus on the need for the transition towards more resilient and sustainable mobility to be inclusive, equitable and cater to the needs of more vulnerable groups in society.

In the Closing Plenary session, No one left behind: embracing equality, enhancing equity, POLIS will present the Just Transition Agenda, a document that will guide the organisation’s networking, capacity-building and advocacy activities in the years to come. The session will feature an opening statement by European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean.

The Just Transition Agenda, endorsed by the POLIS Political Group, will be unveiled by the deputy mayor David Dessers from the City of Leuven, Belgium, who was elected as POLIS president at the General Assembly for 2022.

Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General of POLIS, said: “Urban mobility has to change substantively, to become more sustainable and resilient. But for the transport transformation to be socially and politically viable, we have to ensure a just transition, and also make urban mobility more affordable, safe, and inclusive. We are committed to working with cities and regions and all urban mobility stakeholders to address this challenge in the years to come.”

David Dessers, Deputy Mayor for Mobility of the City of Leuven, said: "We have the ambition to be a frontrunner in sustainable and future proof mobility as to keep our city attractive, healthy and sustainable. We strongly believe in the importance of exchanging knowledge and experiences to realise this ambition. POLIS is the appropriate network for this. As the newly elected POLIS president, we will be very happy to share our experiences and insights with other European cities and to propagate the Just Transition Agenda."

The opening and closing plenary sessions of the conference will be livestreamed online.

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Note to editors

POLIS is the leading European network of cities and regions on urban transport innovation.

The POLIS Annual Conference provides an opportunity for cities and regions to showcase their transport achievements to an international audience, and for the wider transport community to engage with representatives of local and regional authorities on innovative transport solutions.

The POLIS Conference 2021 is hosted by the Urban Transport Administration of the City of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Contact

Francesco Ripa, Communications Manager, fripa@polisnetwork