As a cornerstone of its urban mobility policy, the European Commission strongly recommends that European towns and cities of all sizes should embrace its concept of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). These can vastly improve the overall quality of life for residents by addressing major challenges such as congestion, air/noise pollution, climate change, road accidents, unsightly on-street parking and the integration of new mobility services.
A Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) considers the whole functional urban area, and foresees cooperation across different policy areas, across different levels of government, and with local residents and other principal stakeholders. It ensures a variety of sustainable transport options for the safe, healthy and fluid passage of people and goods, with all due consideration for fellow residents and the urban environment. The European Commission has actively promoted this concept for several years.
Member States are encouraged to promote Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) at the national level, and to provide their local authorities with adequate support and legislation.
To empower towns and cities to develop a SUMP, the European Commission continues to raise awareness through training courses, good practice examples, networking opportunities, and by providing funding opportunities and a coordination platform for SUMP-related projects. All relevant information and documentation on SUMPs is available in the Mobility Plans section of Eltis – the urban mobility observatory including the Revised (Second) Edition of the SUMP Guidelines, accompanied by 17 specialised guidance documents: https://www.eltis.org/guidelines/second-edition-sump-guidelines