Portugal has been making noteworthy progress in urban mobility in recent years. The country has set ambitious goals and objectives, driven by the motivation to reduce the environmental impact of transportation and create more sustainable cities. One of the primary objectives of Portugal’s urban mobility policies is to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable transportation. To achieve this, the country has set a target to have 40% of all urban trips made by walking, cycling, or public transport by 2030. This goal is part of Portugal’s National Energy and Climate Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.

The motivation behind Portugal’s push for sustainable urban mobility is to create more liveable and healthy cities for its residents. The country’s urban areas are among Europe’s most congested and polluted, significantly impacting public health. By promoting sustainable transportation, Portugal aims to reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and create more pleasant urban environments.

Portuguese cities are working towards achieving these objectives. Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon, has been working on making its transportation more sustainable for several years. The city has implemented a bike-sharing program, a car-sharing service, and an electric tram system. It has also invested in a network of bike lanes and pedestrian paths, which has helped increase cycling and walking in the city. Cities like Porto, Braga or Cascais has made significant investments in public transportation.

How is EIT Urban Mobility supporting Portugal’s objectives?

Since 2021, 39 projects have been implemented in the country to promote innovation and foster collaboration in urban mobility, two of which are particularly noteworthy: RAPTOR and #ChallengeMyCity.

Rapid Applications for Transport (RAPTOR) is a competition that swiftly creates and tests solutions to niche urban mobility challenges. Participants compete to provide the most innovative, feasible, and impactful solutions. The RAPTOR programme was implemented in 2022 in the city of Cascais with successful results, helping to solve three challenges identified by the city.  

#ChallengeMyCity is a programme enabling European cities to tackle their most pressing urban challenges by testing market-ready innovative mobility solutions.  Its objective is to test the best solutions through a six-month pilot and evaluates their social, economic, and environmental impact and estimate long-term integration into the city’s mobility strategy, to make mobility more sustainable and accessible for all.

The programme will be implemented in 2023 in Braga, which has just won the European Mobility Week 2022 prize for its remarkable activities in promoting sustainable mobility and continues to take steps towards improving its urban mobility ecosystem. Through #ChallengeMyCity programme, it is seeking innovative solutions to face four identified challenges. A total of 240.000 € will be invested in testing these solutions.  https://portocanal.sapo.pt/noticia/326280

But in addition to these two main programmes, other projects have been developed in the country thanks to our collaborative work, resulting in an investment of more than 1.5 million from EIT Urban Mobility since 2021. The city of Lisbon becomes one of the most illustrative examples, with more of 16 projects implemented. 

As Portugal continues to prioritize sustainable and innovative urban mobility solutions, programmes like RAPTOR and #ChallengeMyCity will continue to play a significant role in driving progress and promoting collaboration.

• Park(ing) Day is an international event, organised annually in cities around the world, that has one simple goal: to give the streets back to the citizen
• Its aim is to reclaim the streets from cars and instead use them to promote public activities, such as art, music, and recreational activities
• Park(ing) Day 2023 will be happening on 15 September. In Barcelona, the event is organised by ISGlobal, Espai Ambiental Cooperativa and EIT Urban Mobility

The Park(ing) Day movement was born out of a desire to reclaim the streets from cars and instead create a new public space that could be used for a variety of activities. The event was started by a group of San Francisco-based activists who wanted to create a space for public activities that were free from the constraints of cars. They hoped that reclaiming the streets for public activities could create a more vibrant urban space and encourage more people to engage with their city.
The event is celebrated annually in cities around the world.
Parking Day focuses on showing how cities belong to the citizens, not the cars. The idea is to encourage people to think differently about how they use public spaces and to create a sense of community among residents of a city.

EIT Urban Mobility organises Park(ing) Day 2023 in Barcelona

In Barcelona, Park(ing) Day is organised by ISGlobal, Espai Ambiental Cooperativa and EIT Urban Mobility, as part of our mission of putting the citizens at the centre of our activities. The event is designed to create an opportunity for citizens to come together and create a new vision for the city. Participants will be encouraged to think about how they can create a more sustainable and liveable city.

The event will also have a range of activities, such as workshops, music shows, workshops for kids and discussions.

Park(ing) Day is a fantastic opportunity for citizens to come together and reclaim their streets. It is also a reminder of how cities should be designed for people, not for cars. By joining this event, citizens can help create a better, more sustainable future for their city.

Participation at the event is free and open to all kinds of entities and groups. Individual citizens can also join a parklet. More information is available here: parkingdaybcn.org