Day: April 25, 2022

5G-MOBIX recently interviewed the Institute of Communications and Computer Systems (ICCS) which is based in Athens, Greece. The interview highlights ICCS’s role within the project consortium, presents the Greek-Turkish cross-border corridor, and expands on the latest developments and upcoming steps in the cross-border corridor.

Together with several other partners, ICCS is working on the Greek-Turkish cross-border corridor, which presents the unique characteristic of corresponding to a so-called “hard-border” where authorities enforce a stop-and-go mobility model, which presents a different set of mobility-related challenges. At the same time, it provides an environment for experimental evaluation of other types of applications related to the broader domain of 5G-enabled IoT and logistics e.g., in the form of customs inspection.

Having performed full-scale trials including various network configurations which will shed light on technical aspects related to e.g. inter-PLMN connectivity e.g., Leased Line vs. Internet-Based, and various handover schemes, the Greek-Turkish cross-border corridor is organising a public demonstration on 10 May 2022.

Read the full interview

To become a world leader in clean mobility, the municipality has aligned, over the years,  political and financial resources to shift the way its residents move. Its most recent plans – the City’s Agenda (2019-2023) and the new Sustainable Mobility and Public Space Plan (2021-2025) – lay out ambitious sustainable mobility targets, with clear timelines and milestones, to gradually give public space back to pedestrians, bicycles and public transport.

Vitoria-Gasteiz has thoroughly documented its mobility transition, and the data walks the talk. Between 2006 and 2019, the modal share of private motor vehicles decreased from 36.5% to 29%, whilst the share of public transport increased from 43% to 49.5% and cycling from 3.3% to 8.5%.  Moreover, annual public transport passengers grew from 12.7 million in 2008 to over 24.5 million in 2019.

These shifts are the result of the city’s strategic plans and investments in mobility services and infrastructure, like the introduction of a tram system and cycling networks.

In February, the Spanish Government revealed that the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz will receive 11 million euros from the EU recovery package “Next Generation EU”. These funds will be used to further anchor the city’s Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and develop other sustainable mobility projects.

Between 2022 and 2023, residents of Vitoria-Gasteiz will witness the extension of the city’s cycling network and bicycle parking spaces, improvements in pedestrians’ accessibility to the Central Superblock, modernized and digitalized parking regulations, the creation of last-mile micro-logistics hubs for sustainable deliveries and the development of the Electric Mobility Center, amongst others. 

Overall, the comprehensive mobility package will lead the way to the city’s transition to sustainable mobility, reduce greenhouse emissions and improve public health in Vitoria-Gasteiz, as well as protect the Medieval Quarter.

This article showcases the achievements of three European cities that have gone beyond all expectations. Through a short description, timeline and video, discover how Barcelona, Mechelen and London established ambitious UVARs that transformed urban public space and improved people’s quality of life.

 

Barcelona is using its iconic grid plan structure to create livable urban pockets. By grouping 9 blocks together, that’s approximately 400 x 400 meters, the Spanish city created “superblocks” (superilles). These areas of public space prioritize active travel modes and limit motorized traffic vehicles.

Barcelona’s superblock implementation timeline

• To find out more about the history and layout of superblocks in Barcelona and Vitoria-Gasteiz, and how they could be implemented in the United States, watch Vox’s 5 min video How Barcelona is taking city streets back from cars

 

The Belgian city of Mechelen has changed a lot. With the participation of citizens, the city centre become a cycle zone with 179 cycling streets. They give cyclists priority over motorized vehicles or are all together car-free. Therefore, the urban freight industry switched to cargo bikes to increase the flexibility and accessibility of their activities. This shift happened through the city of Mechelen and the CIVITAS City Changer Cargo Bike project’s awareness campaigns, electric bike cargo sharing scheme, and the inclusion of cargo bikes in the city’s fleet.

Mechelen’s cycling zone timeline

• To hear short interviews about the CIVITAS project on cargo bikes in Mechelen, watch Eltis’ 3 min video The shift to sustainable urban freight

 

London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and pollution charge are famous. In a nutshell, vehicles in the capital’s city centre – up until the North and South Circular Roads – need to either meet the ULEZ emissions standards or pay a daily charge. Although organized through multiple public consultations, the ULEZ faced equity issues resulting in exemptions, discounts and financial incentives. However, the ULEZ did lead to remarkable results in air pollution reduction.

London’s ULEZ and Pollution Charge timeline

• To learn more about London’s air pollution problem and how its ULEZ works, watch WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities’ 4 min video London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone

The article’s content and visuals were extracted from Jente Versigghel and Koos Fransen’s (Ghent University) unpublished research work.

As a reminder, London and Vitoria-Gasteiz are ReVeAL case study cities.