The conference was the ninth such annual event, following fora previously hosted in various quarters of Europe including Malmö, Krakow, Bologna, Kaunas, Burgos, Nantes, Rotterdam and Graz since the series started in 2003. The CIVITAS Forum Network currently includes 195 cities from 31 European countries, that have formally committed to clean and sustainable urban transport.

The city of Funchal was both an unusual and ideal location for the Forum, thanks to its specific geographical characteristics as one of the European Union’s outermost regions. Located 800km west of the coast of Morocco in the North Atlantic Ocean, it is deemed one of the most beautiful natural amphitheatres in the world. It thrives as a major tourist town yet is significantly challenged in offering viable transport solutions because of its hilly terrain.

This year the CIVITAS FORUM Conference identified ‘key factors for success’ in sustainable urban mobility. The aim was to conclude the event with a take-home ‘menu of good practices’ or 'toolbox' of proven measures and initiatives; ‘recipes for success’ that cities can plan with and build upon according to their specific circumstances and culture, in collaboration with ‘champion’ cities – because it is only through working together (both vertically with the EU and horizontally with peers) that cities will achieve the same common goal: sustainable urban mobility.