CMI - MARSEILLE CENTER FOR MEDITERRANEAN INTEGRATION

HIGHLIGHTS

Sustainable Urban Transport


 


"A program for a shared Mediterranean culture of "good practices"

MAIN ISSUES
The rapid population growth in countries bordering the Mediterranean, particularly to the South and the East, and the resulting widespread urban sprawl yield a strong demand for urban transport in large cities. This growing mobility need combined with an alarming increase in motorized transport lead to high levels of congestion and pollution, slow down economic development and generate high costs for often imported energy. Moreover, uncontrolled and proliferating informal or small-scale transport and the exhaustion, if not the collapse, of public transport agencies and private companies aggravate difficulties and deepen social exclusion for those who do not have access to transport services or who do not have the means to pay for any type of transport.


Adequate management of urban transport is therefore a critical issue that concerns all aspects—technical, economic, social—of sustainable urban development. Effective management should be able to better control urban expansion, stabilize energy demand, preserve the environment and lead to improved access for the greatest number.


Even though central governments and local authorities in charge of these issues are aware of the need to develop their urban transport networks and do take many initiatives in this area, they often lack perspective because they do not always have the opportunity to exchange experience or to share their knowledge.

 

A PROGRAM FOR CAPACITY BUILDING AND REINFORCEMENT OF PUBLIC POLICIES
The objective of the Sustainable Urban Development program is to develop an overall integrated approach to planning, management and development of sustainable and efficient urban transport policies and systems. It will not only strengthen the Mediterranean knowledge network in this area and develop partnerships, but it will also contribute to develop a methodological toolbox with concrete tools designed for Mediterranean cities. The program also seeks to develop partnerships and to disseminate best practices.



PROGRAM PARTNERS
The Sustainable Urban Transport program is one of several programs in a multi-partnership framework. It is headed by the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement : AFD), also in charge of the program's set up, finding funding sources, and its implementation, in collaboration with CODATU and with the support of centers of expertise and specialized research: CERTU, CETE, Plan Bleu.



AFD partners include the cities and countries organizing the events that punctuate the program (Syria, the cities of Marseille and Barcelona, etc.), and participating fund donors: the World Bank and the European Investment Bank.
This list will be updated regularly to reflect the program's active partners.



ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM

  • A Series of Meetings:

The program is based on a series of six meetings—one per semester—over a three-year period from 2010 to 2012: two regional conferences and four thematic workshops.


The final objective of these meetings is to create a shared Mediterranean culture of good practices in sustainable urban transport. They will consolidate the sector's knowledge networks in the Mediterranean, create new partnerships, and contribute to a methodological toolbox with concrete tools designed for Mediterranean cities.

This collaborative work will also provide continuing training for hundreds of leaders in Mediterranean cities and will allow the emergence of a shared culture for the effective implementation of sustainable urban transport policies and systems tailored to the specificities of the Mediterranean region: climate, habitat (including medinas and historic centers), local practices, social and urban patterns, etc.

Program of Meetings:



  • A Manual of Good Practices:

The program should review initiatives and existing practices in the field of sustainable transport in Mediterranean cities.
The proposed methodology for preparing the manual relies on the active participation in the program's meetings of public institutions and local governments, universities and centers of excellence of Mediterranean countries.
Through this interactive preparation of the manual, truly integrated knowledge will be assembled by decision-makers and practitioners in Mediterranean cities. (Under construction)

  • A Documentary Base:

To fully benefit from all documents, studies, and reports assembled during the program, a documentary base of all these resources will available on line for meeting participants.

  • Access to the documentary base





Related information:



 

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