Lab preparation
The Anderson Sustainable Mobility Lab was initiated in 2023 by videoconferences between several cities in the network interested in exchanging views on sustainable mobility and changes in citizen behavior. John Housseal also took part in these meetings, piloting the Lab with Clermont-Ferrand, Karlsruhe and Anderson.
The Lab process
Anderson
The Lab was led by Anke Karmann-Woesner (Head of Planning, City of Karlsruhe) and Jean-Yves Bechler (Executive Director, Clermont-Ferrand Mobility Authority).
This workshop deals with three different mobility themes. Firstly, the sharing of public space, the city of Clermont-Ferrand presented InspiRe, the project to restructure the urban transport network of the Clermont-Ferrand metropolis, which aims to redevelop urban spaces while taking into account the current context of ecological transition and adaptation to climate change. Karlsruhe also presented its urban mobility plan, the aim of which is to make the city center more pedestrian-friendly by creating a tunnel through which the metro will pass, thus freeing up public space.
speaking during the lab in
Anderson
The second theme was behavioral changes in urban mobility. Karlsruhe presented its €9 pass, which enables unlimited travel on public transport throughout Germany. This pass succeeds the highly successful €9 ticket introduced in summer 2022, which was also designed to encourage the use of public transport. As for Clermont-Ferrand, it presented the free public transport introduced in October 2021 to encourage city dwellers to use it.
The final theme of the Lab was mobility for all. Karlsruhe explained its Tramtrain concept, which improves and simplifies connections with surrounding cities by allowing streetcars to run on train lines. The city of Clermont-Ferrand, meanwhile, presented its H2 experiment, which aims to introduce hydrogen-powered buses on one of its existing lines. The project is due to be deployed in September 2024.
Finally, the city of Regensburg presented its tramway project, which would facilitate travel while respecting the environment. The town of Bad Kreuznach presented its urban mobility initiative, encouraging a change in user behavior and giving more space in public spaces to pedestrians. To achieve this, the town has introduced a number of measures, including reducing the speed of motorists in town and adding bicycle lanes.
Continuing the Lab at Polis
The Lab’s participating cities should meet again at Polis, the Urban Mobility Summit in Karlsruhe, on November 28 and 29, 2024, to discuss and continue this exchange process and identify work priorities.
