Urban Air Mobility (UAM), its increasingly important role in cities and the tools needed to manage it, are at the core of the CITYAM project. Drones are a green and smart mobility form, but the potential, volume and sustainability of these automated vehicles in the lower airspace of our cities needs management and better planning. For this, a strategy and policies, preparation, greater awareness and more knowledge and tools are crucial. The 13-partner strong consortium with 6 ambitious cities, living lab partners, network organisations and renowned universities will develop, test and scale this.

While industry works on overcoming technical challenges and the European Aviation Safety Agency pushes forward with regulations, societies in the BSR - cities and their citizens - should not idly stand by and wait until this new technology has taken permanently a larger place in our daily lives. Therefore, through close transnational cooperation, CITYAM will provide the ingredients and tools for a solid UAM strategy, to adapt city planning practices in relation to landing site and airspace management, and also to scale city-owned drone operations as part of a multimodal transport system. Increasing public officials’ capabilities, and measuring public acceptance are key to this work.

Through CITYAM, the Baltic Sea region will strengthen its European frontrunner role in UAM and lead the way for local authorities to shape a responsible and sustainable use of the air in our cities.