Increasing walking and cycling: to reap health benefits, emission reductions and integrate active mobility and micro-mobility devices, with smart technologies and infrastructure

Projects are expected to deliver:
• At least a 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from urban transport in participating cities through promotion and implementation of walking, cycling and micro-mobility infrastructure and services.
• A minimum 30% increase in daily trips on foot and by bike in follower cities.
• Enhanced integration of e-bikes, e-scooters and other intelligent micromobility vehicles into digital and green road infrastructure; extension of C-ITS to these modes, leading to increased modal share and improved safety.
• A comprehensive EU guidance document on active mobility, including:

• Concrete measures for improving the quality, safety, quantity, continuity and attractiveness of pedestrian, cycling and micro-mobility infrastructure;

• Approaches to integrate walking, cycling and micro-mobility into transport models and urban traffic/traffic-light management systems;

• Smart technology solutions for inducing healthy behavioural change towards active modes;

• Frameworks for partnerships between transport and health authorities, demonstrating quantified health benefits, especially for cancer prevention and patient rehabilitation.
• Implementation research evidence on active mobility’s role in cancer prevention (through increased physical activity and obesity reduction) and on improving cancer patients’ symptoms and side effects.
• Monitoring frameworks with clear baselines, indicators and quantified targets for each city, adaptable to anticipated technological and policy developments.

Projects must:
• Contribute to a minimum 15% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from urban transport and achieve at least a 30% increase in daily walking and cycling trips in follower cities, supported by clear indicators, baselines and quantified city-level targets, monitored throughout the project.
• Set up consortia comprising at least five experienced ‘lead cities’ and five less-experienced ‘follower cities’, each established in a different EU Member State or Associated Country, ensuring sound geographical balance; at least half of these cities must be among the 112 cities selected for the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission.
• Effectively involve Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) expertise to maximize societal impact.
• Address all four pillars:
1) Active mobility infrastructure: improve quality, safety, quantity, accessibility, continuity and attractiveness of walking and cycling networks.
2) Integration and modal share: comparative analysis (≥10 cities), living labs, tactical urbanism, behavioural change research, policy support to achieve modal share targets.
3) Smart technologies: explore and test conditions, requirements and use cases for integrating e-bikes and micromobility in digital/green road infrastructure and traffic management (C-ITS), building on latest legislative developments and prior R&I results.
4) Coordination and capacity building: stakeholder engagement, training, co-creation, co-governance, knowledge exchange.
• Build on and liaise with existing EU/national projects and initiatives (e.g., Horizon-2025-D 6-12 safety topic) and relevant EU policies (European Green Deal, Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, New Urban Mobility Framework, EU Declaration on Cycling, Mission on Cancer, Zero Pollution Action Plan).
• If using satellite-based earth observation or positioning data, employ Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS services.