On 26 February 2025, industry experts gathered to discuss how urban mobility solutions and design choices can help improve accessibility and inclusion. The discussion was part of the WIN-ITS 2: How can urban mobility solutions and design choices help improve accessibility and inclusion? webinar, which was co-organised by Trivector Traffic and EIT Urban Mobility.

Accessibility and inclusion as market factors

“Accessibility is a competitive advantage,” said Lina Mosshammer, Managing Director and Co-Founder of POINT&. “It allows you to reach more users and a broader target group.”

Over 450 million people live in the European Union (EU), and of those, more than 100 million have a disability. Additionally, over 90 million are aged 65 or older, a number that is expected to rise in the coming years. This demographic shift presents a significant opportunity for the development of inclusive urban mobility solutions.

The Better Mobility Trendreport, a collaboration between POINT&, EIT Urban Mobility and Impact Hub Vienna, highlights the most important trends and innovations driving sustainable and inclusive mobility across Europe. Insights were gathered from over 300 startups and more than 100 experts. The key trends are:

• Build a holistic system that serves everybody
• Design liveable cities and regions
• Prioritise health in a changing climate
• Commit to inclusive design in mobility solutions
• Enhance safety and security in the sector

Supporting startups for inclusive mobility solutions

“Inclusive mobility is not an afterthought. It’s a core pillar of sustainable urban development,” said Raül Feliu, Impact Venture Programmes Manager at EIT Urban Mobility.

With this in mind, EIT Urban Mobility and the European Union, along with POINT&, Impact Hub Vienna and Productize, co-fund the Better Mobility Accelerator, a six-month, pan-European innovation programme that helps startups test their innovations in real-world environments while collaborating with cities and companies.

Traffic safety measures: a key to inclusive mobility

Creating accessible and inclusive mobility is also about implementing traffic safety measures that benefit all users. As highlighted by Hanna Wennberg, Consultant and Researcher in Traffic Safety at Trivector Traffic, “30 km/h is also a matter of gender equality.”

Research shows that when speed limits are reduced in urban areas from 50 km/h to 30 or 40 km/h, women tend to have a lower risk for injuries in traffic and a perceive traffic as safer compared to men.

Speed limits can also be an important tool to address various urban policy areas, including noise reduction, air pollution control and traffic congestion, all while enhancing safety.

Helsinki’s way to Vision Zero

Roni Utriainen, Traffic Engineer at City of Helsinki, presented City of Helsinki’s Traffic Safety Development Programme 2022-2026, a concrete example of how traffic safety can be successfully implemented in a city.

Helsinki aims for a long-term Vision Zero goal – the elimination of all traffic fatalities and severe injuries – by implementing measures such as lower speed limits, continuous pavements or narrower streets.

Initially, there was resistance to the speed limit reductions in Helsinki, “[but] after five years of implementation, nearly no one regrets lowering the speed limits. […] At least, we don’t get any negative feedback about the speed limits; in fact, it’s the other way around, with people wanting lower speed limits on streets where the current limit is 40 km/h or even 50 km/h.” noted Utriainen.

Additionally, Utriainen pointed out, “reducing the speed limit is quite cost-effective. It is a safety measure and also lower costs, reduces pollution and noise. People perceive it as safer.”

Incorporating inclusive design and accessibility features into urban mobility solutions is not just a matter of equality – it’s also a smart business decision and a key driver of urban sustainability. Through targeted programmes and thoughtful design, cities can make their transportation systems more inclusive, safe and efficient for everyone.

Nordic Council of Ministers, EIT Urban Mobility, Trivector Traffic, ITS Estonia, ITS Finland, ITS Iceland and ITS Norway co-fund Women in Nordic ITS 2 (WIN-ITS 2) project.