Zagreb (Croatia) was last night revealed as the winner of the 2012 European Mobility Week Award at a prestigious ceremony in Brussels’ Vaudeville theatre. The Croatian capital was praised for its innovative approach to citizen engagement, which transformed EMW into a weeklong celebration. The city was chosen ahead of Swedish finalists Gävle and Östersund for the award.
Speaking at the event, Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik praised the work of cities and citizens, saying: “if we all take small steps, together we take a giant leap forward”.
In receiving the award, Zagreb said that it was the best possible confirmation of their success.
As part of its award, the city filmed a high-production values promotional video, outlining its exemplary approach to sustainable mobility.
During the week, citizens in Zagreb took part in activities such as urban fitness and educational sessions, rode vintage trams and helped redesign public parking lots for bicycles, amongst others.
2011 winner Bologna also gave a presentation on its mobility activities. Representative Chiara Cavicchi told cities that this award “represents not a point of arrival, but a reason to revitalize new activities and renew the impetus to promote sustainable mobility”.
Siim Kallas, Commissioner for Transport, introduced the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP) award, calling SUMPs “powerful tools to achieve change”.
Aberdeen (United Kingdom) was revealed as the 2012 winner, which is given to the city deemed to have done the most to achieve a sustainable mobility mix through creating a dedicated mobility plan.
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