Across Europe, cities are trying to radically reduce their reliance on car-based mobility in order to address sustainability challenges. Two things are lacking in these efforts towards a 'post-car' city: a proactive vision of cities that are both sustainable and accessible without cars, and effective strategies to deal with systematic resistance to change. EX-TRA will generate knowledge that address these shortcomings.
Central to EX-TRA's approach are transition experiments in city streets, or intentional, temporary changes in street use, regulation and/or form, aimed at exploring systemic change towards a 'post-car' city. By way of urban living labs in Amsterdam, Bologna, Milan, Ghent, Munich and London, the project will generate insights into:
- Possible combinations of physical design and regulation that increase the types of usage and inclusivity amongst users of city streets
- Transport and land use conditions for the purpose of enabling and improving walking and cycling accessibility in city districts
- Shared mobility platforms and micro-mobility and freight delivery options which complement attractive streets and accessible districts
- Strategies of change that can accelerate the transition towards a 'post-car' city.
Funding and partners
Urban Planning scholar Luca Bertolini will lead the EX-TRA project. The international project received 1,8M Euro in the ERA-NET Cofund Urban Accessibility and Connectivity (ENUAC) programme. EX-TRA will mobilise fourteen scientific and societal partners in the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Germany and the UK.
About ERA-NET
The ERA-NET Cofund Urban Accessibility and Connectivity (ENUAC) supports researchers, cities, municipalities, businesses, civil society and other stakeholders to build transnational consortia to create challenge-driven innovation and research projects that address the challenges of sustainable urban passenger mobility, freight, transport and connectivity as integral and essential parts of sustainable urban development.