The 10th edition of the Informed Cities Forum sought to aid cities in their transition to sustainable mobility. It did so in two ways:
Over the course of the three days, participants heard from and exchanged with mobility experts from the CIVITAS SUMP-PLUS project, the City of Grenoble and other cities, participated in site visits that highlighted the complexities of planning human behaviour, engaged in brainstorming sessions to develop recommendations, and joined in the many networking activities.
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The 10th Informed Cities Forum was co-organised by the CIVITAS SUMP-PLUS project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
About the Informed Cities Forum
The Informed Cities event series is based on an interactive and creative concept and aims to gather inspiration and contacts, as well as to share practical knowledge and experience and addresses the most pressing questions facing European cities. Learn more here.
The conference report documents the 10th Informed Cities Forum by highlighting key outcomes and discussions from the event. Read through it to take a look back at what happened during the event!
Informed Cities Moderator
Head - Berlin Office, ICLEI Europe
Jasmin Miah is the Head of ICLEI's Berlin office. She works on a wide range of topics such as mobility, behavioural change and smart cities as well as on some of ICLEI’s more political projects such as Urban7. In Berlin, she is in close touch with German ministries and German and international organisations located in the city. She is an Informed Cities veteran and can't wait to moderate this innovative and creative event. In her spare time, she is very active in local politics herself.
Mayor
City of Grenoble
An engineer and graduate in civil engineering of the Grenoble Institut National Polytechnique (formerly INPG), Eric Piolle got involved in public life in 2009 after a career spent as a senior executive in the industry. He started as a Regional Councillor for the French Green Party (Europe Ecologie les Verts) in the Rhône-Alpes area from 2010 to 2014. He was elected Mayor of Grenoble in 2014, and reelected in 2020. Under its drive, the City of Grenoble and its partners won the title of European Green Capital 2022.
Centre for European studies & comparative politics
Sciences Po, Paris
Dr Charlotte Halpern holds a PhD in political science and is an FNSP tenured researcher at Sciences Po, Centre for European studies and comparative politics in Paris. She has done extensive research on state restructuring, policy change and the selection of policy instruments, mainly in the field of environmental, transport and urban policies in Europe and South America.
Professor of Transport & Sustainable Development
University College London
Prof Peter Jones is a member of the Independent Transport Commission, the DfT’s Science Advisory Council and co-chair of its Joint Analysis Development Panel. He is a member of the City of London Transport Strategy Board and the Dubai Council for Future Transportation; and formerly, the South-East Wales Transport Commission, the Hong Kong ERP Advisory Panel and the CIHT Urban Design Panel.
He advises the European Commission and a number of major cities and national governments around the world, and was awarded an OBE for services to national transport policy, in January 2017.
Managing Director
European Integrated Projects, Bucharest
Lucia has been involved in mobility research for 27 years and in autumn 2019 she has been awarded a Lifetime Award by European Commission for Outstanding Contribution to the development of Sustainable Mobility in Europe. She has established EIP in 2007 as she wanted to enhance the dialogue between different actors involved in the mobility field. One of Lucia’s professional interest is to raise awareness of the necessity to look at the mobility from different perspectives, and not only from technical point of view. Her personal interest is to improve the individual quality of life through better mobility services tailored for their particular mobility needs. She has a very good knowledge of the mobility sector in Europe and beyond and has played a leading role in key projects over the years from 4th Framework Programme to Horizon 2020.
Managing Director
Hot or Cool Institute, Berlin
Dr. Lewis Akenji is the Managing Director of Hot or Cool Institute, a Berlin-based public-interest think tank that champions science-based collaboration towards building a sustainable civilisation.
He has been featured on several global and local media outlets, including BBC, the Times, Reuters. He has consulted with organizations including United Nations agencies, the Asian and African Development Banks, the European Commission, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and has served as technical or science-policy adviser to several national government delegations, including Finland, Japan, Sweden, Indonesia, Hungary.
Lewis conceived and led the 1.5-Degree Lifestyles project, analysing potential contribution of lifestyle changes to the aspirational 1.5 °C target under the Paris Agreement on climate change, and implications on equity and wellbeing.
He has an M.Sc. Sustainable Resource Management (Technical University Munich, Germany) and a Ph.D. Political Economy (University of Helsinki, Finland).
Head of Department
SMMAG
Julie Blais has been head of Department at the Local authority for mobility in the Greater Grenoble area (Syndicat Mixte des Mobilités de l'Aire Grenobloise - SMMAG) for 7 years, in charge of planning mobility policies (SUMP), observing mobility practices, and designing and evaluating transport infrastructure projects. She has twenty years of experience in the field of mobility and the link between urban planning, transport and environment.
Deputy Mayor
City of Grenoble
An engineer and graduate in the field of IT and telecommunications, Gilles Namur has worked in microelectronics industry since 1999. Involved and member of environmentalist and residents' associations, he has appropriated the various tools of citizen participation. Elected in 2020 in municipal elections, he is now Deputy Mayor of Grenoble in charge of public spaces, mobility, nature in the city, biodiversity and coolness.
Innovation Strategy Officer
Transport for Greater Manchester
Stuart Blackadder works in local air quality management and health-transport decarbonisation at Transport for Greater Manchester. He received his Master’s in Urban Regeneration in 2018, having written about urban inland waterway logistics. He is an advocate of rewilding and urban greening, is fascinated with China, and spends his free time researching dilapidated Tuscan farmhouses to one day inhabit.
SUMP-PLUS coordinator
City of Antwerp
Sustainable Energy & Mobility
Technical University of Crete
Stavroula holds a Chemical Engineering MSc and MBA and has over 25 years professional experience in project management, business development, marketing communications. She has participated/managed 20+ EU funded projects in the Sustainable Energy, Mobility and Tourism fields (H2020, IEE2, MED Interreg), including the coordination of the EU-IEE PVTRIN and NEZEH projects; currently site manager on CIVITAS Destinations.
Author/co-author in 15+ technical guide and 40+ papers in scientific/technical conferences, articles in scientific/technical journals. Lead role in organisation of EU policy events (EU Parliament), Conferences, Capacity Building Events, Public events, Workshops, Webinars, Awareness activities.
Principal researcher
Vectos SLR, UK
Steve is Principal Researcher within the international team with two decades of experience working in the sustainable transport sector at the Universities of Aberdeen and Newcastle. Steve’s research work is applied at both strategic and local levels: at the strategic level, work is focussed on providing guidance to inform and shape planning and policy decisions in areas such as net-zero carbon transitions, neighbourhood living and rural transport solutions; local level research is centred on developing data-driven tools to translate strategic policy measures to local settings. This helps planners to understand the extent to which measures are likely to be effective in different locations / contexts.
Steve holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Civil Engineering, from the University of Aberdeen, a Master of Science in Transport Engineering and Operations and a Doctor of Philosophy in Transport both from Newcastle University. He was previously a Visiting Scholar at Cambridge University and is currently an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen.
Mobility advisor - bicycle unit
SMMAG
Asaël has been living in the Grenoble region for four years and recently joined the local authority for mobility in the Greater Grenoble area (Syndicat Mixte des Mobilités de l’Aire Grenobloise - SMMAG). Asaël works in the mobility management and multimodal information department, in the bicycle unit. His work involves improving the bike rental services available to Grenoble residents in order to increase the modal share of cycling in the city.
Operations manager - Heritage and Investments
SMMAG
Aurélien Laperrouse is responsible for the railway works for the tramway network at the local authority for mobility in the Greater Grenoble area (Syndicat Mixte des Mobilités de l'Aire Grenobloise - SMMAG). Worksites can have an impact on mobility (tramways, cycle paths, roads, free-floating sites…) and on neighbourhood life. From operations planning to the end of works on railways, Aurélien makes connections between all the stakeholders (elected people, cities services, network operators, engineering and public works companies, restaurants, citizens…).
Management of mobility planning - Behavioural Change Unit
SMMAG
Sébastien Castelin recently joined the local authority for mobility in the Greater Grenoble area (Syndicat Mixte des Mobilités de l'Aire Grenobloise - SMMAG) in the Behavioural Change Unit, part of the Mobility Management and Multimodal Information department. As Assistant Project Manager, Sébastien supervises the SMMAG’s support of Employers' mobility plan through the « M’PRO » programme.
Cycling policy coordinator
Grenoble-Alpes Métropole
Marine Peter is the cycling policy coordinator of the metropolitan area of Grenoble: the local authority Grenoble-Alpes Métropole gathers 49 cities and 450 000 inhabitants. She has been working in sustainable mobility since 2014
Manager - mobility agencies
M-TAG
Since June 2020, Boris has been the manager of the three Mobility agencies for M-TAG, the company which runs the public transport network in the Grenoble areas (49 towns). He is also in charge of the call centre which answers all the questions of the transit riders. The past two years have been very challenging times trying to find solutions to adjust to the pandemic and its consequences on users’ behaviours. With his team, they are trying to find solutions to both adapt to the customers’ needs and contribute to reduce their carbon footprints.
Deputy manager - mobility agencies
M-TAG
Najat is deputy manager of the Mobility agencies and the call center at MTAG, the urban transport company in the Grenoble area (49 towns). She has been working within this company for 22 years, having held several jobs. In particular, she actively participated in the launch of the first multimodal agency in Grenoble in 2011 and in the implementation of multimodality in the two other agencies and the call centre 'AlloTag'.
Sustainable urban logistics
Grenoble Alpes Métropole
Clément Viola works in sustainable urban logistic at Grenoble Alpes Métropole. He received his Master’s in urbanism and urban projects in 2017, after writing a thesis on the consideration of urban logistics by local authorities: an action lever to act on air quality. He has been involved in the creation of a Low Emission Zone for goods vehicles in 27 municipalities of the Grenoble metropolitan area.
Project Manager
SMMAG
Jérôme Fourches has been project manager at the local authority for mobility in the Greater Grenoble area (Syndicat Mixte des Mobilités de l'Aire Grenobloise - SMMAG) for four years, in charge of transport offer and infrastructures, accessibility for persons with a mobility disability and pricing. He has been working in the Grenoble area for the past 20 years in the field of mobility.
13:30-14:00 Registration & coffee
The Forum will kick-off with an exploration around the topics of building stronger links with other sectors and stakeholders as well as connecting with individuals to promote behaviour change that will delight participants. The City of Grenoble and the CIVITAS SUMP-PLUS project consortium, the co-organisers of the event, will welcome participants to the 10th Informed Cities Forum.
Speakers:
No boring old panel discussion here. In this session you will be listening to our experts but are also invited to share your thoughts on the current tensions and challenges related to behaviour change and the transition to sustainable urban mobility. Can cross-sector working and successful citizen behaviour change ever be achieved? Share your ideas, interact with experts, practitioners, and city representatives here.
15:30-16:00 Coffee break
Time to get out of your seats and explore our beautiful host city because we will learn about Grenoble's mobility work by actually experiencing it. We will take you to some of the key mobility spots in the city. What do you see, how do you feel, and what do you notice when there? Our site visits will give you a chance to properly find out what Grenoble is doing well and what we can learn for other cities. There's nothing like first-hand experience so don't miss out on this great opportunity.
Guides:
17:45-19:00 Self-guided exploration
Welcome cocktail at Maison de l'international
08:45-09:15 Registration & Coffee
Let’s revisit what we learned on day 1.
Get your thinking caps on for this adventure! Participants will be divided into a number of teams and challenged to find and solve challenging mobility riddles in the city. The riddles will focus on different topics, including multimodality, cycling, car sharing, public transportation, pedestrianisation, accessibility, and air quality. The team that is quickest in completing the mobility hunt will be awarded with a prize.
12:30-13:30 Lunch Break
The afternoon will be divided into three broader topics: PLAN, TALK, and ENGAGE. The first will focus on remaining gaps when considering the successful implementation of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans. SUMPs, transitions pathways, implementation strategies - what do these words mean to you? Be guided into a discussion with experts on the development of Transition Pathways to achieve long-term city visions, the development of shorter-term implementation strategies to enable effective delivery of measures, and necessary governance reforms.
Speakers & presentations:
Come engage with and learn directly from other cities - Greater Manchester, Antwerp, and the city of Grenoble - who have shown that successful cross-sector coordination and public-private partnerships are indeed possible and lead to positive impacts for the people, the city, and everybody involved. It is no secret that decisions made by non-transport sectors come with mobility-related consequences. To achieve long-term carbon reduction targets and city transitions, coordination between different sectors at the policy and planning level as well as public-private partnerships must be included as part of a city's agenda. During this think exchange, participants will be able to talk with each other about their experiences with cross-sector coordination and partnerships.
Speakers
16:15-16:30 Coffee break
The achievement of long-term city visions requires the strong support and involvement of policy makers, multi-sector city planners, private sector organisations, and citizens in the development of transition pathways and implementation strategies. This session will explore three engagement approaches, which have been tested in six different City Labs, to support active engagement and participatory approaches. You’ll then get the opportunity to test out the tools in an exciting role play.
Speakers:
Wrap up Day 2
18:15-19:30 Pre-dinner self-guided networking (optional)
Location: Le Restaurant O2 Téléphérique
An evening full of great views, delicious food, and people that share your passion for local sustainability transitions awaits you. FREE to participants!
09:30-10:00 Registration & coffee
Let’s revisit what we learned on day 2.
During this session, participants will interact with representatives of the City of Grenoble to learn more about as well as influence the city's long-term transition pathway, reflect on the contents of the Forum, and how it can contribute to realising its mobility transition.
Speakers:
We hope you have your game faces on for this interactive session as we test your mobility knowledge.
Can a city administration really reach out to its public before it has built effective relationships with the services they rely on? Can we ever achieve an integrated vision? What did the Forum uncover about the possibility to achieve the balance necessary to carry out a mobility transition? This will be an unmissable wrap up of the Informed Cities Forum featuring a debate with city practitioners and mobility experts.
Speakers:
Bringing the event to a proper close, join us for a lovely networking lunch before we part our ways...until next time. FREE to participants!
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
European Secretariat, Leopoldring 3, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
info@informedcities.eu