Advancing Sustainable Mobility: Highlights from SCALE-UP’s Participation at the TRA in Dublin
From left to right: Mrs Stella Aaltonen & Mrs Katariina Kiviluoto at the TRA Poster Board Area
From 15 to 18 April 2024, consortium partners of the SCALE-UP project were present at the Transport Research Arena Conference (TRA) in Dublin, Ireland.
TRA stands as the biggest European research and technology conference on transport and mobility. This year's edition focused on "Advancing Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility" aligned perfectly with the goals and vision of the SCALE-UP project.
It was a great opportunity to showcase the SCALE-UP project in a diverse auditorium spanning across experts in transport and mobility, policymakers, and researchers from Europe and beyond.
SCALE-UP partners actively participated in the sessions throughout the event and showcased the recent developments of the project, which is coming to the end of its 3rd year.
During the TRA, the SCALE-UP poster was featured at the TRA Poster Board Area at Simmonscourt Hall, informing the attendees about the project activities and the developments in the three Urban Nodes involved: Antwerp (BE), Madrid (ES) and Turku (FI). This allowed for greater visibility and engagement with conference participants, facilitating discussions and exchanges of ideas about the project's objectives and outcomes.
Monday, 15 April 2024
On Monday 15 April 2024, Mrs Oona Uusitalo from the City of Turku, took part in Poster Session 1.2 “People-centered & inclusive mobility” and presented the findings of the paper "Art Competition as a Creative and Participatory Tool for the Promotion of Sustainable Mobility”, exploring the innovative use of art competitions as a means to engage communities in promoting sustainable mobility and using findings from the USER-CHI project, which also had an impact on one of the measures of SCALE-UP.
In the same session, Mrs Mari Luz Brownrigg-Gleeson, from the Transport Research Center (TRANSyT-UPM) of the Technical University of Madrid presented her findings during the pedestrianisation on the centre of Madrid in a paper titled "Exploring Citizens’ and Businesses’ Acceptance of New Pedestrianisation in Madrid." The research was carried out with SCALE-UP, shedding light on the impacts of permanent pedestrianisation in busy city centres.
Mrs Mari Luz Brownrigg-Gleeson in the Poster Session 1.2 “People-centered & inclusive mobility “
Mrs Annika Kunnasvirta in the Technical Session 1.3.1 “Transport behaviour“
On the same day, Mrs Annika Kunnasvirta from the Turku University Of Applied Sciences participated in the Technical Session 1.3.1 “Transport behaviour“ and presented the paper "Promoting Cycling Skills of Schoolchildren – Participatory Impact Evaluation Methods as Nudges for Active Mobility, explaining strategies to promote cycling skills among schoolchildren.
Later on the same day, Mr Sergio Fernández Balaguer from the Municipal Transport Company of Madrid (EMT), participated in the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) moderated panel session entitled “Special Session 1.5 “Sustainable urban mobility solutions for climate-neutral and smart cities”. The session explored the various ways that urban mobility can be the key driver for achieving climate neutrality in the cities.
Wednesday, 17 April 2024
On Wednesday, Mrs Stella Aaltonen from the City of Turku took part in the Poster Session 4.4 “Urban, Regional & Rural Transport“ and presented the findings of the paper “Soft Measures Speeding up the Change – Showcases from the City of Turku, Finland”, highlighting the need to reduce carbon emissions in urban transportation by leveraging data-driven services and strategies. She presented best practices implemented in the City of Turku, one of the three Urban Nodes within the SCALE-UP project, encouraging a shift towards more sustainable modes of transport.
In a parallel session, Prof Andrés Monzón, from the Transport Research Center (TRANSyT-UPM) of the Technical University of Madrid, shared his insights on the significance of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) in actualising the concept of walkable cities through his paper "15-minute City: a holistic approach in the frame of SUMPs”.
The presence of the SCALE-UP project was met with enthousiasm and success as it offered the opportunity to showcase some of the latest measures and updates on urban mobility and also engage in fruitful conversations with the TRA participants.
Mrs Stella Aaltonen in the Poster Session 4.4 “Urban, Regional & Rural Transport“
Author: Eftychia Koliou, Smart Transportation Alliance (STA)
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