Overview
SPROUT provides a new city-led innovative and data driven policy response to address the impacts of the emerging mobility patterns, digitally-enabled operating & business models, and transport users’ needs. Previously tested and implemented policy responses employing access restrictions, congestion charging or infrastructure provision, seem today, unable to adequately address the changes underway in the urban mobility scene. Furthermore, any policy responses should take into all stages of the policy lifecycle and should have an eye not only to the present but also to the future.
Therefore, starting from an understanding of the transition taking place in urban mobility, SPROUT will define the resultant impacts at the sustainability and policy level, will harness these through a city-led innovative policy response, will build cities’ data-driven capacity to identify, track and deploy innovative urban mobility solutions, and will navigate future policy by channelling project results at local, regional, national and EU level. To achieve its goals, SPROUT will employ 6 city pilots (including China) with real-life policy challenges faced as a result of urban mobility transition in both passenger & freight, covering urban and peri-urban areas, different emerging mobility solutions, and context requirements.
The project pays special attention to the needs of vulnerable groups and users with different cultural backgrounds, taking also into account gender issues. SPROUT ensures an active participation of numerous representatives from authorities of small & medium-sized cities through a 3-layer structure of cities’ engagement approach, and through the creation of an Open Innovation Community on Urban Mobility Policy.