Transport leaders chart the course for the future of urban mobility at POLIS Leadership Summit in Rome

On 14 May 2025, the POLIS Leadership Summit brought leading voices in urban mobility to the historic Palazzo Senatorio in Rome’s Campidoglio, fostering a unique space for honest dialogue, strategic reflection, and collective action.

Hosted by POLIS and the City of Rome, this year’s edition focused on four major themes shaping the future of mobility: leadership dilemmas, transport poverty, digital infrastructure, and green competitiveness.

“Hosting the POLIS Leadership Summit is an honour and, at the same time, a great opportunity for Rome.  This municipal administration is at the forefront of the urban mobility transformation. We are facing a complex challenge and learning from  other cities with similar challenges is truly valuable. Besides its institutional importance, the POLIS Leadership Summit, , has also been very useful from that perspective. It is precisely from the continuous exchange offered by these occasions that ideas and projects for mutual growth on the sustainability front are born”, said Eugenio Patanè, Deputy Mayor, City of Rome.

The event came at a pivotal time, with the political, environmental, and economic pressures on cities and regions growing more acute. Participants were urged not only to be inspired by their surroundings but to embrace the effort and responsibility that bold leadership demands.

“POLIS political leaders convene in Rome to discuss how to keep moving forward in challenging times and in partnership with the private sector, without compromising the very necessary sustainability goals that have been set for mobility. We must stay the course to create positive local impact, and to ensure Europe remains agile and united in a rapidly changing global landscape”, said Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General, POLIS.

The event kicked off with an emphasis on the decisive role leaders play across all phases of mobility planning: from defining objectives to selecting investment strategies, and balancing technical, political, and social considerations for implementation. Experts may propose strategies, but ultimately, leadership is needed to make the call, particularly when faced with competing stakeholder interests.

Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General, POLIS, welcomes attendees at the POLIS Leadership Summit. Photo credit: Lavinia Blasi

Facing leadership dilemmas

The Summit’s opening panel highlighted that while defining visions and strategies is essential, the true challenge often lies in implementation. Local leaders shared how they engage in difficult conversations, confront resistance, and remain committed—even in the face of uncertainty, polarisation and changing geopolitical contexts.

“In these times, it is enticing to allow the short term to prevail. We don’t have that luxury as cities. Citizens require us to look for lasting, sustainable and future-proof mobility solutions”, said Senna Maatoug, POLIS President & Deputy Mayor of the City of Utrecht.

Discussions explored the complex relationship between city leadership and citizens, recognising the growing importance of co-creation and public trust. Though citizen engagement has become standard in early phases of planning, there remains hesitancy in knowing how to involve the public in final decision-making, a recurring dilemma in participatory governance. The panel also reflected on the political and cultural courage required to navigate backlash or changing circumstances. Leaders often face situations where bold decisions do not play out as expected, requiring them to adjust course without undermining their overall vision.

From the private sector perspective, a recurring theme was the need to pair behavioural change with clear incentives and options. Encouraging people to shift habits, particularly in car-dominant environments, demands more than restrictive measures: it requires positive alternatives, accessible infrastructure, and communication that helps citizens understand and support the changes underway. Effective parking management and public space reallocation were cited as examples where political leadership and public benefit must go hand in hand.

Finally, the panel stressed the need for stronger alignment between the public and private sectors. Many private mobility providers face difficulty translating innovation into viable, scalable business models within current policy and funding environments. Building synergies between both sectors, grounded in mutual understanding and shared goals, will be key to unlocking sustainable urban mobility.

From left to right: Senna Maatoug, POLIS President & Deputy Mayor, City of Utrecht / Eugenio Patanè, Deputy Mayor, Roma Capitale / Frank Hansen, Lead Strategist Urban Mobility, BMW Group / Felipe Ramírez Buitrago, Urban Mobility Director, WRI / Philip Broeksma, Vice Mayor, City of Groningen / Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General, POLIS. Photo credit: Lavinia Blasi

Addressing transport poverty through policy and funding

The session on transport poverty spotlighted the social dimension of sustainable mobility. Speakers stressed that mobility exclusion is not only about a lack of access to transport services—it is also about time poverty, territorial inequality, and physical and financial barriers that keep people from fully participating in society.

The upcoming Social Climate Fund (SCF) was identified as a key instrument to support more inclusive mobility and overcome car dependence, but only if cities and regions are actively involved by the national level in shaping the priorities. Several speakers urged cities to make their voices heard now during the drafting of national plans to ensure the SCF delivers on its potential and implements structural solutions to address the structural problem.

The conversation also focused on the need for better data, clearer definitions, and a broader and multimodal portfolio of mobility options, emphasising that traditional public transport alone cannot meet the full spectrum of mobility needs at any time and location, and for any target group, while perpetuating forced car ownership through one-off measures is not fruitful.

From left to right: Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor, Greater London Authority / Mohamed Mezghani, Secretary General, UITP / Beatriz Yordi, Director, DG CLIMA, European Commission / Raimondo Orsini, Director, Foundation for Sustainable Development. Photo credit: Lavinia Blasi

Bridging the gap with digital infrastructure

As cities expand their efforts in data-driven planning, the summit’s third session tackled the opportunities and responsibilities that come with building robust digital infrastructure. Participants acknowledged the critical role public authorities must play not only in data collection, but also in governing how that data is used and shared.

A call was made for stronger collaboration between cities, the private sector, and service providers, with a shared understanding of the economic models behind digital mobility services and ITS. Ensuring data resilience, interoperability, and equity were recurring themes, particularly for smaller cities that often lack the capacity to develop these systems on their own.

Speakers urged cities to integrate data governance into SUMPs and shift toward evidence-based decision-making, without waiting for European frameworks to be fully built. The message was clear: digital infrastructure must serve people, not the other way around and cities and regions should govern it, just like they already manage their physical infrastructure.

From left to right: Maurizio Taffone, Senior Director, AlmavivA SPA / Philippe Crist, International Expert in Mobility Innovation & Foresight / Joost Vantomme, CEO, ERTICO / Gemma Schepers, Project Manager Smart Mobility, City of Amsterdam / Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General, POLIS. Photo credit: Lavinia Blasi

Growing green competitiveness, collectively

The final theme of the day examined how cities and regions can align their sustainability goals with economic growth and innovation to make Europe’s industries more competitive. Urban mobility is no longer just a transport issue: it is a central pillar of local economic development.

Participants discussed the importance of collaboration between public authorities, startups, and established industry players to create viable business models and scale innovation. However, many noted the disconnect between available EU funding and the ability of smaller mobility providers to access it, calling for a reimagining of funding frameworks to better support flexible, locally adapted solutions.

The session also touched on the role of urban nodes as economic hubs, the challenges of national-level funding alignment, and the growing impact of climate risks on city infrastructure and budgets. Growth and sustainability must stop being seen as competing goals, and breaking down silos between the two is essential to achieving both.

From left to right: Koen Kennis, Deputy Mayor, City of Antwerp / Tuija Telén, Regional Mayor, Helsinki-Uusimaa Region / Andrea Condotta, Public affairs, Sustainability & Innovation Director of Gruber Logistics, Vice-Chair of ALICE / Edoardo Zanchini, Director of the Climate Office, Roma Capitale. Photo credit: Lavinia Blasi

Key messages & next steps

The Summit closed with a clear message: leadership is not just about vision, but about staying the course, and without the courage to face change, none will happen. From building public trust to navigating conflicting priorities, cities are facing increasing pressure—but also greater responsibility—to deliver meaningful change. Speakers underscored the need to embrace complexity and recognise that difficult conversations are an integral part of effective leadership.

A strong emphasis was placed on the importance of implementation, not just strategy design, and on engaging citizens early and consistently to foster long-term public support. The Social Climate Fund was highlighted as a critical opportunity to drive inclusion, provided it is merely the beginning for broader action in the future. Participants also called for a stronger role for cities and regions in shaping digital mobility frameworks and governing the use of data. Crucially, green mobility must be seen not as a constraint, but as an economic opportunity.

As discussions in Brussels currently focus on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), and how to make sure that urban and regional mobility is firmly embedded in national investment plans, as well as within broader European-level funding frameworks, POLIS will work to ensure that the voices of local and regional actors remain central to shaping the path forward.

Participants, both public and private, left the Summit with new ideas and inspiration, and the courage to continue and stay on track.