Active mobility: turning knowledge into action

The European Urban Initiative (EUI) Policy Lab on active mobility is supporting this effort by capitalising on existing experience, bringing together city representatives, experts, and stakeholders for an 8-month journey, from July 2025 to February 2026, to turn lessons learned into practical recommendations for local action.

Active mobility is more than a way to get around — it reduces congestion and emissions, promotes health, and makes cities more accessible and affordable. Yet shifting away from car-centric planning is not easy. Through the Policy Lab, cities explore challenges and opportunities, identify what works, and develop guidance that can be applied across Europe, ensuring active mobility integrates seamlessly with public transport and broader sustainable mobility systems.

Why active mobility matters

Active mobility is more than a way to get from A to B. It reduces congestion and emissions, promotes healthier lifestyles, and makes cities more accessible and affordable for all. In the EUI Forward-Looking Survey 2024, mobility was identified as the top priority for European cities, with active mobility – walking, cycling, and other non-motorised forms of transport – standing out as a central concern. While promoting active mobility brings multiple benefits, cities still face challenges in shifting away from car-centric planning and in ensuring inclusivity, accessibility, and integration with wider transport systems.

Importantly, the Policy Lab considers active mobility within the broader framework of integrated mobility systems, including functional urban areas and urban–rural linkages, recognising that walking and cycling must connect seamlessly with other modes of sustainable transport.

Four themes at the core of the Policy Lab

The study focuses on four key dimensions:

• Behaviour change – how to encourage a lasting shift towards walking and cycling.
• Data and technology – using digital tools to support sustainable mobility.
• Accessibility and inclusion – ensuring all groups can benefit from active mobility.
• Overcoming barriers – identifying what prevents cities from scaling up successful practices.

From knowledge to practice

By capitalising on real-world experience, the EUI Policy Lab support cities move from ideas to action. It provides evidence-based guidance on what works, supporting local authorities in designing integrated, inclusive, and sustainable urban mobility systems. The Lab also reinforces the importance of collaboration: exchanging practices across cities, aligning with broader transport systems, and integrating mobility with climate, health, and social priorities.

Progress so far

Since its launch, the Policy Lab has mapped existing knowledge through desk research and identified a pool of case studies for deeper analysis. Shortlisted cities have received a questionnaire to provide more detailed and comparable information. A smaller group will then be invited to take part in hearings (in-depth interviews).

What comes next

• Focus groups – These will be online public discussions held in November 2025, bringing together experts, city representatives, and key stakeholders in mobility. Their themes and dates will be defined after analysing the questionnaire results.
• EU City Lab – A highlight of the Policy Lab, the EU City Lab, co-organised by EUI and URBACT, will take place on 28-29 October 2025 in Hamburg. It will be an opportunity to present the first findings of the study and, more importantly, to collect feedback and additional input from cities across Europe, including Hamburg (DE), Brussels (BE), and Faenza (IT). Be part of the EU City Lab - register here.

The final recommendations, expected in early 2026, will provide practical guidance for cities seeking to expand active mobility, building on lessons learned from across Europe.

Turning lessons into impact

The Policy Lab shows that advancing active mobility is a collective effort. European cities can learn from one another, adapt successful practices, and scale solutions in ways that suit local contexts. By connecting evidence, innovation, and collaboration, the EUI Policy Lab is helping to build greener, healthier, and more inclusive cities — and setting a pathway for Europe’s urban mobility transition.

Follow the EUI Policy Lab on active mobility to see case studies, tools, and practical recommendations emerging from cities across Europe, and discover how lessons learned today are shaping the sustainable, liveable cities of tomorrow.

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