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EU project to test sustainable mobility solutions in five living labs

Posted: 25 March 2020 |

The living labs participating in the ECCENTRIC project are Stockholm, Turku, Madrid, Munich and Ruse.

EU project to test sustainable mobility solutions in five living labs

To realise a competitive transport sector that increases mobility and cuts emissions, several initiatives are being tested in various European cities under the EU-funded CIVITAS ECCENTRIC project. ECCENTRIC, among several CIVITAS H2020 projects tackling all modes and aspects of transportation in urban environments, focuses on sustainable mobility in suburban districts and CO2-free city logistics.

A brochure has been released which highlights the research and innovation projects run under the CIVITAS network. Summarising the details of CIVITAS ECCENTRIC, the brochure stated: “In five living labs, the project demonstrates the potential and replicability of integrated and inclusive urban planning approaches, innovative policies and emerging technologies.”

The brochure, produced as part of the CIVITAS SATELLITE Coordination and support action funded through Horizon 2020, also stated: “Clean vehicles and fuels are being tested, new regulations and services formulated, and consolidation solutions developed in close partnerships with the private sector.”

ECCENTRIC integrates car and bike sharing, electromobility, city logistics and some other aspects of transportation. Some of the measures developed and deployed in Stockholm aim to make solutions such as Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and private car sharing more accessible. Related initiatives “are expected to achieve the overall aim to raise awareness when it comes to car-light lifestyle thus reducing traffic jams and harmful emissions. Different mobility suppliers are also partners of this project.”

In the case of Madrid, the measures involve “smart parking management in peripheral business areas through prioritising clean and high occupancy vehicles.” The solutions “aim to reduce the overall number of vehicles entering the business centres of the capital and, as a more far-reaching goal – to reduce pollution by exhaust fumes. Several potential areas for smart parking have been identified. Currently, a test area is set up in order to examine the advantages and disadvantages of the project, the potential problems and how they can be solved, etc.”

As for Munich, the development of “a scheme that aims at a sustainable and affordable e-trike sharing scheme for citizens with reduced mobility” is at the core of related efforts. “E-trikes are relatively more expensive than normal bikes and this project gives a solution to the problem for citizens that are both with reduced mobility and can’t afford the price.”

CIVITAS ECCENTRIC will continue until end-August 2020. CIVITAS SATELLITE, which facilitates cooperation between CIVITAS 2020 projects, will end in December 2020. “SATELLITE will function as anchor for the entire CIVITAS Network,” stated CORDIS. “Through capacity-building, SATELLITE will provide city practitioners with the necessary skills to apply innovations in their own context, while additional exchange activities will prepare for the actual transfer and take-up of these solutions through community building approaches where cities can learn from their peers.”