SUMPs for BSR

The project SUMPs for BSR helps smaller municipalities develop and apply sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs). This helps to encourage shift towards people’s active mobility and thus a healthier lifestyle while reducing traffic emissions at the same time.

Cities in the BSR battle with the climate crisis with transition to sustainable mobility and efficient urban planning. Car traffic is still favoured in existing plans, existing urban mobility systems are heavily car-dominated.

To minimize the traffic-related CO² emissions, cities need to change focus towards more sustainable mobility modes. Cities are willing to adopt the sustainable urban mobility plans. Especially small and medium-sized cities are still lacking skills and capacities to adopt them. And especially, to monitor and evaluate the impact of planned actions.

The project “SUMPs for BSR” supports cities in shifting their planning practices towards people-centred sustainable urban mobility planning. Focusing on active mobility modes and promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for citizens, while reducing emissions from traffic. Special focus lies on small and mid-sized BSR cities in preparing and implementing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP).

The project aims to increase the uptake of SUMPs as a strategic tool for sustainable mobility planning by developing tools and offering extensive capacity building for local authorities. SUMPs for BSR will develop a common framework on monitoring and evaluation for sustainable urban mobility planning. It supports cities in the region to set up sound local processes. This helps to evaluate the performance of the local mobility system and to provide crucial information for planning and decision making.

The project will develop a model for cities to test and experiment with innovative mobility solutions. Focusing on active modes such as walking and cycling and change of public spaces.

The overall objective is to support BSR cities to develop urban transport systems that are safe, accessible, inclusive, affordable, smart, resilient, and emission-free.

The Institute of Baltic Studies supports lead partner and research partners in their activities. IBS supports project partners in the development of their small-scale pilots. This involves compiling materials to support partners in developing their active mobility modes, mapping lessons learned, and providing feedback on pilot development. Some of the key topics are mapping target groups, engagement, evaluation and monitoring.

Project partners:

City of Turku (Leadpartner; Turun kaupunki, Finland)

University of Gdańsk (Uniwersytet Gdański, Poland)

Institute of Baltic Studies NGO (Balti Uuringute Instituut, Estonia)

Cesis Municipality (Cēsu novada pašvaldība, Latvia)

City of Gdynia (Gmina Miasta Gdyni, Poland)

University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald (Universitäts- und Hansestadt Greifswald, Denmark)

Gävle municipality (Gävle kommun, Sweden)

Panevezys city Municipality administration (Panevėžio miesto savivaldybės administracija, Lithuania)