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CIVITAS Forum 2018 - Moving towards Europe's inclusive and multimodal mobility future

18 September 2018 00:00 - UmeƄ, Sweden

The magnitude of transport’s social dimension is becoming increasingly clear - mobility shapes lives and prospects. It is vital that transport systems are environmentally friendly, inclusive, efficient, and centred on meeting diverse user needs. Yet how can this be accomplished?

Under the banner of "Mobility for U and Me", this year's CIVITAS Forum, which is taking place from 19-21 September in Umeå, Sweden, will examine this critical question.

European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc said: "It is time to change the way we move. The pioneering work of CIVITAS is vital in order to place multimodality at the beating heart of the EU's transport system. Embracing new technologies and combining different travel modes will help relieve congestion on the roads, reduce noise, and air pollution and improve our quality of life."

A series of high-profile speakers will address this year's Forum, including Lena Erixon, Director of the Swedish Transport Administration; Maja Bakran Marcich, Deputy Director-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), European Commission; and Stina Nilimaa Wickström, Vice President of Product Design, Volvo Group.

They will join hundreds of other policymakers, city representatives, academics, and practitioners to debate and dive into the most current pressing topics in sustainable urban mobility, such as multimodality, co-creation, Mobility as a Service, e-mobility, equitable and  inclusive transport access, SUMPs, and smart mobility solutions.

Take-up and transfer sessions, an exciting new feature this year, enable participants to get hands-on with and see cutting-edge urban mobility tools and methods in action, whilst the Politicians' Forum will once again gather top-ranking officials from Europe's local authorities leading the way in sustainable urban mobility.

Umeå is one of Scandinavia's leading exponents of sustainable urban development. A series of site visits will enable participants to experience why, including tours of the city's smart university district, its gender-sensitive infrastructure, and new multimodal hub, Vasaplan.

Mayor of Umeå, Hans Lindberg, commented: "We are immensely proud to host this year's CIVITAS Forum and welcome Europe's brightest mobility minds. By showing our visitors the innovative mobility measures and participatory planning processes that have transformed Umeå into an inclusive, green, and  smart city, we hope to prove that putting citizens and their welfare at the centre of policy and practice produces the best results."

To see the full agenda and for more information, visit: civitas.eu/forum2018

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