As part of the e-smartec project, project partner Centre of Competence Sustainable Urban Mobility (CC-SUM, Trade & Invest GmbH) organised another stakeholder event. The event was held on November 4, 2021, at the House of Logistics and Mobility (HOLM) in Frankfurt am Main.
In the four-hour workshop, twelve participants with different backgrounds - children, teens, families and elderly people with low incomes, as well as people with physical and mental impairments - exchanged their experiences of participation in transport and mobility planning.
The addressed question was "Which formats are necessary for a successful consideration of the interests of "underrepresented" groups in inclusive transport and mobility planning processes?”.
Experience shows that sustainable transport and mobility planning cannot be achieved without the involvement of important stakeholders and users. However, only certain groups often seem to be addressed and involved in the participatory process.
Taking all groups of people into account in participation measures is a challenge for municipalities. The CC-SUM is particularly interested in how, from the point of view of different underrepresented groups, the inclusion of interests and appropriate access can be ensured in the context of mobility and transport planning.
To better understand this, the CC-SUM posed the following questions:
What should municipalities pay attention to in inclusive participation processes?
Which participation formats can reach "underrepresented" groups?
The following feedback was received:
- Ensure barrier-free access
- Use simple, easy language
- Ensure barrier-free infrastructure
- Know the target groups and address them adequately
- Use more unconventional formats, such as theatre projects, intercultural cooking, etc.
- Be "on the spot" and work "on the spot" (excursions, social space analyses)
- Perceive "outreach participation"
- Organise workshops with different targets, and involve stakeholder groups and relevant experts
- Public relations (use analogue and digital channels)
- Offer incentives for participation
- Cooperate with multipliers
- Ensure realistic timelines
In the next step, the results will be incorporated into the project's Action Plan, which will be implemented in 2022. The Action Plan will serve as the final report of the e-smartec project. Hessen’s Action Plan will be presented at the Annual POLIS Conference in Gothenburg on December 1 and 2, 2021.