CIVITAS Forum 2017: Small communities, big ideas

People standing near bicycle statue

Under the banner of "Small Communities, Big Ideas", this year's CIVITAS Forum - taking place from 27-29 September in Torres Vedras, Portugal - will prove that size is no limit to innovation in sustainable urban mobility.

Many high-profile politicians, stakeholders, and decision makers will present, including, João Pedro Matos Fernandes, Minister of Environment of Portugal, José Mendes, Secretary of State for Mobility of Portugal, Carlos Manuel Antunes Bernardes, Mayor of Torres Vedras and Maja Bakran, the Deputy Director-General for Mobility and European Commission.

Deputy Director-General from DG MOVE, Maja Bakran said: "A shift towards sustainable transport and mobility is urgent and necessary. Over 70% of EU citizens live in urban areas and many remain affected by congestion, inefficient transport systems, and bad air quality. Across Europe, pioneering initiatives – such as CIVITAS demonstration projects – are driving this change, and the CIVITAS Forum remains a key conference in the field of sustainable urban mobility."

Hundreds of mobility experts, actors and stakeholders will gather to delve into a diverse selection of themes, ranging from core sustainable mobility topics like collective passenger transport, active modes and urban mobility planning, to newer perspectives in the field, such as digital revolution, intelligent transport systems or connected vehicles.

The CIVITAS Deployment Day, a new feature this year, will connect developers of new tools and methods with potential users from cities. Live demonstrations and individualised training workshops will showcase the latest sustainable urban mobility developments.

Five different site visits will give participants a chance to experience the local area and the city's mobility innovations. These include a cycling tour, and a demonstration of the city's cutting-edge integrated parking management system.

Mayor of Torres Vedras, Carlos Manuel Antunes Bernardes said: "As one of Portugal’s leading locations for sustainable urban development, Torres Vedras is proud to be hosting the CIVITAS Forum 2017. We are the smallest ever host of a CIVITAS Forum, but we have big ideas when it comes to adopting forward-thinking mobility solutions! And we very much look forward to welcoming the CIVITAS network at the end of September."

About the CIVITAS Initiative

CIVITAS is a network of over 250 cities dedicated to cleaner, better transport in Europe and beyond. The Forum is its annual flagship event, with Torres Vedras marking the 15th time it has taken place. The first was held in Graz, Austria, in 2003.

Having started in 2002, CIVITAS is now in its fifth phase. It is currently supporting 3 "living labs" projects where a range of sustainable mobility solutions are being implemented and 14 research projects under the European Commission's Horizon 2020 funding programme. 

About the CIVITAS Forum conference

CIVITAS Forum is the yearly conference of the CIVITAS initiative which supports EU cities since 2002 in implementing sustainable urban mobility measures, to the benefit of their citizens and for producing re-applicable learnings which other cities can use.

European CommissionEuropean Commission logo

Transport directly affects everyone in Europe. Whatever age we are, and whatever activities we undertake, transport and mobility play a fundamental role in today’s world. The aim of the Commission is to promote a mobility that is efficient, safe, secure and environmentally friendly and to create the conditions for a competitive industry generating growth and jobs. The issues and challenges connected to this require action at European or even international level; no national government can address them successfully alone. The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport works in concert with the European Union Member States, European industry, citizens and stakeholders.

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