Transforming Urban Mobility Across Europe – Insights from the Decarbomile project
On 5 November 2025, the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC), within the Horizon Europe’s project Decarbomile organised a dedicated workshop on accelerating the transition to sustainable urban mobility across European cities.
The session was held as an integral part of the UBC General Conference, one of UBC’s flagship biannual events, which brought together more than 200 officials from across the Baltic Sea Region, including representatives of local and regional authorities, national ministries and European-level institutions. Embedding the workshop within the General Conference ensured strong political visibility, cross-sectoral dialogue and direct exchange between policy-makers and practitioners, significantly strengthening the relevance of project results for cities operating at different governance levels.
Tailored Solutions from Four Living Labs
A core segment of the workshop focused on decarbonised last-mile logistics solutions developed and tested in four living labs: Hamburg, Istanbul, Logroño and Nantes. Presentations demonstrated how each city tailored its solutions to local technical, environmental and socio-economic conditions, taking into account regulatory frameworks, urban density, stakeholder ecosystems and market readiness.
The discussion underlined that effective last-mile decarbonisation requires flexible, context-sensitive design, strong public–private cooperation and iterative testing. Rather than promoting a single model, the living labs illustrated how shared principles can be translated into locally owned solutions.
Transferability Across UBC Cities
Building on the living lab experiences, participants discussed the transferability and replication potential of the presented solutions across other UBC member cities. The exchange highlighted the value of peer learning within city networks, particularly for sharing practical tools, implementation insights and lessons learned from pilots. Opportunities for future collaboration, thematic exchanges and joint initiatives within the UBC framework were also identified.
Case Study: From Plan to Practice – Gdynia’s Way to Sustainable Mobility
A dedicated case study showcased Gdynia’s pathway from strategic planning to implementation of sustainable mobility measures. The presentation illustrated the importance of integrated planning approaches, aligning SUMPs with broader city strategies in areas such as climate action, energy, housing and public health to ensure coherence and cross-sectoral ownership.
Equally important was Gdynia’s focus on citizen and stakeholder engagement, using inclusive consultations, participatory workshops and digital platforms to involve residents and local actors in shaping mobility priorities. This approach supported the successful introduction of innovative measures, including low-emission zones, e-mobility charging infrastructure and shared mobility schemes, many of which have since become permanent features of the city’s mobility system.
Reflections and Next Steps
The workshop concluded with an interactive discussion, allowing participants to reflect on key insights and outline next steps. Participants emphasised the need to further strengthen cooperation within the UBC network, continue knowledge exchange and build on Horizon Europe projects as catalysts for scaling up sustainable urban mobility solutions.
Overall, the session reaffirmed the role of UBC as a platform for transforming innovative concepts into practical, transferable solutions and thus supporting cities across Europe in their transition towards cleaner, more inclusive and more resilient urban mobility systems.