EIT Urban Mobility - Call for Proposals for Creating Public Realm

Opportunity

19/03/2021 00.00 - CET

18/05/2021 23.45 - CET

Mobility

In 2021, EIT Urban Mobility is launching a call for the Innovation Programme 2022 focused on the City Challenge Areas. This year the Call is focusing on four simple areas: Active Mobility, Sustainable City Logistics, Energy and Mobility and Future Mobility.

Application deadline: 18 May 2021

Main features of the call (aim and segments)

As cities in Europe and worldwide are bouncing back stronger and more resilient after the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing momentum to rethink our cities and promote more sustainable and healthy urban living by building beautiful, sustainable, inclusive places to live together after the pandemic. New research shows that the rediscovery of proximity provides a window to shift faster from a target of increasing mobility to one of enhancing accessibility by revisiting public space, urban design and planning. We are yet unsure about how the near post-pandemic future will look like, however, this crisis has undoubtedly changed our relationship with city streets, the public realm and local facilities.

The transformation of our cities has started already in many ways. Some of the most forward-thinking cities, small and big, have set out ambitious strategies and plans to cater for the growing demand for housing and travel in urban areas, reduce the impact of transport on societies and the environment, and make cities more attractive places where to live and work. And there are also a growing number of examples of grassroots movements for shaping urban environments. The citizens and local communities in Europe and worldwide are reclaiming the streets and public infrastructure to create vibrant neighborhoods by implementing placemaking and tactical urbanism projects that have a remarkable impact on public spaces.

Cities that have successfully put people and the environment at the centre of planning have a vision for great public space. But space is a scarce resource especially in dense urban centres and there are many competing demands for the little public space available. City stakeholders need to navigate the competing demands to offer inhabitants liveable spaces, free of pollution, where nature can retake its place for environmental benefits and benefits of the city’s inhabitants while providing inclusive opportunities for social exchange.

The goal of this call for projects is to generate social innovation by improving and transforming streets and public spaces with tactical urbanism and street experiments as part of a city-wide approach for liveable cities, and building on adopted mobility strategies and plans in cities.

Projects will implement pilots for inclusive, safe and accessible public realm design in a city or town, and build momentum for long-term policy change in communities – especially in disconnected and less central neighborhoods – to help improve liveability for all local residents.

Partners

For the 2022 Public Realm Call, any EIT Urban Mobility partner, including new potential project partners can be the Lead Applicant or participate in the call. A minimum of two cities and at least one other type of partner from the private sector, academia and research can form a consortium.