Sustainable Urban Transport

Status: Completed

Tags: MENA Region / Transport / Urban / 2010

Lead Organization

French Development Agency (AFD).

Partners

French Ministry for Sustainable Development, CODATU (Cooperation for Urban Mobility in the Developing World) and CEREMA (Center for Studies and Expertise on Risks, Environment, Mobility and Urban and Country Planning). The World Bank is a partner for the Leaders in Urban Transport Planning (LUTP) training sessions. The City of Marseille, Plan Bleu, MedCities, and the European Investment Bank (EIB) also contribute to some activities and deliverables.

Challenges

The rapid increase in population in MENA and the resulting urban sprawl have generated a strong demand for urban transport. Large cities have tended to develop extensively, which led to high levels of congestion and pollution, and a slowdown of economic development. The focus is now on mass transportation including different modes to be articulated into an integrated, low-carbon and energy-efficient transport offer.

Program Objective

While cities are engines of growth, for agglomeration externalities to work, people need to be connected through reliable, efficient, and affordable services. The program aims to support policy making for devising and implementing integrated public transport systems as a key component of urban and territorial development. Issues of long-term financing and the institutional framework of public urban transport are particularly emphasized.

Selected Results

Deepened knowledge/increased capacity: A training session was organized in Marseille, June 1-7, 2014, jointly by the French Development Agency (AFD) and the World Bank, as part of the “Leaders in Urban Transport Planning” (LUTP) program. This LUTP session developed leadership and decision-making capabilities as well as networking among high-level policy officials and senior managers in urban transport. It was attended by six representatives of the Center for Mediterranean Integration (CMI) member countries including counterparts directly involved in the preparation of major projects considered for funding by the World Bank and French Development Agency (AFD).
Improved network/increased visibility of the CMI: A regional workshop on sustainable urban transport was organized under the program and hosted by the Metropolitan Municipality of Izmir, Turkey, on November 12-14, 2014. The workshop, which closed a four-year phase of the program, helped to connect various municipal experiences around the Mediterranean, with particular focus on the integrated coastal and terrestrial transport system of Izmir. Further priorities for the program were also discussed, including pursuing the capacity building activities at regional level and holding workshops aimed at promoting policy reforms at national or sub-regional level.