“Podgorica is a modern city with a focus on people and the quality of life for all citizens. The transportation system is efficient and safe, accessible and affordable to all, socially just, environmentally friendly, and oriented towards active forms of mobility. Together, we are committed to improving the culture, health, and satisfaction of every resident.”
Is this the future reality, or is it still just a vision we share?
That’s the question that the NGO Biciklo.me attempted to answer during the workshop titled “Sustainable Urban Mobility” and organised in collaboration with the Capital City and Europe House. The workshop was attended by the local parliament members and representatives of the Capital city administration.
This workshop was held as part of the European Mobility Week celebration, which took place from the 16-22 September.
“The workshop was conducted as part of the SUMP-UP project. Our role is to assist the Capital City in improving the implementation of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan. SUMP-UP is part of a broader project called Smart Balkan, which is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway,” emphasised Stefan Bulatović from the NGO Biciklo.me.
What is Sustainable Urban Mobility?
This plan was adopted by the Capital City in February 2020, following a year of preparation.
Sustainable urban mobility represents a new approach to traffic planning that aims to meet the mobility needs of all citizens and provide accessibility to various activities in a sustainable way. Until now, both traffic, city streets, boulevards, and architecture have been primarily oriented towards automobiles. This plan shifts the focus from motor vehicles to people and sustainable forms of mobility (bicycles, scooters, walking).
Why introduce this new approach to traffic planning?
“We have a huge number of cars and a significant problem with traffic congestion, which affects every citizen and the quality of their life,” added Bulatović.
He also noted that the traffic congestion is one of the biggest challenges facing urban areas today. Travel times have increased, as well as air pollution. These are only some of the reasons why it was necessary to develop this plan.
The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for Podgorica is based on these five pillars:
- Comprehensive planning of sustainable urban mobility
- Rationalisation of passenger car use
- Modernisation and promotion of public urban transport
- Promoting walking as the healthiest form of mobility
“The development of this plan was a truly participatory process, and our NGO has been involved in it from the beginning. We were also part of the work group that ultimately developed this plan,” said Blažo Crvenica from the NGO Biciklo.me.
Crvenica also emphasised that there is almost no city in Europe with up to 100,000 residents that doesn’t have a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan. “This is simply a new way of thinking about the space within the city–a shift in consciousness that this space is no longer exclusive for motor vehicles but for all participants in traffic. This will improve the quality of life significantly,” concluded Crvenica.
During the workshop, participants exchanged opinions and experiences. Additionally, some of best practices from the European cities were presented.
Ljubljana embarked on its green transformation in 2007, and in 2016 it was awarded the title of the European Green Capital.
After the workshop, Teodora Kusovac, Advisor for the International Projects in the International Cooperation Office of the Capital City of Podgorica, presented the results of the TRIBUTE project, which was funded by the EU Cooperation Programme in the Adriatic-Ionian region (ADRION). As part of this project, a network was formed to find the best solutions to the challenges of Sustainable Urban Mobility in Podgorica.