On July 16, 2020, the Region of Central Macedonia (RCM) in collaboration with the Regional Development Fund of Central Macedonia (RDF CM) and the Hellenic Institute of Transport - CERTH organized an online expert panel regarding participatory processes and synergies for the development of SUMPs.
The meeting was targeted to representatives of municipalities to exchange know-how and experiences for citizens and stakeholders' engagement in Sustainable Urban Mobility planning and harvest information about their needs. The vice-Governor of Infrastructure and Networks of Region of Central Macedonia, Mr. Paris Mpillias, greeted the meeting stating the support of the Region to the coordination of authorities in sustainable mobility policies and its trust on the e-smartec partnership to deliver effective solutions.
Dr. Maria Morfoulaki, head of the Laboratory “Sustainable Mobility” of HIT and Project Coordinator, informed participants about the situation in RCM, regarding SUMP’s implementation, presenting, also, the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) process.
Experts presented good practices for the participatory development of SUMPs in the cities of Rome, Bologna and Hessen. RCM presented the SUMP Competence Center of the Region that was set up as an online tool, facilitating the implementation of SUMPs. Good practices were also presented by representatives of the Greek Municipalities of Rethymno and Igoumenitsa, while Municipality of Serres shared their experience on participatory approaches implemented during the SUMP process.
A structured dialogue ensued with the participants, using online polling, capturing opinions and challenges in engaging stakeholders and citizens in the steps of the SUMP cycle. The conclusions of the event will steer the tools of the e-smartec project towards the needs of the authorities responsible for planning for sustainable mobility.
