The UBC TALKS webinar organised on 24 September 2024 focused on the concept of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), and what benefits that active mobility brings to cities. As cities across the Baltic Sea Region aim for climate neutrality and the wellbeing of their citizens, SUMPs gain a foothold as a strategic tool to promote active and sustainable mobility. The webinar features a series of case studies that illustrate how UBC member cities like Turku, Greifswald, and Panevėžys are utilising SUMPs to guide their transition toward sustainable mobility. This webinar edition was organised together with the SUMPs for BSR project, supported by the Interreg BSR Programme.
The webinar started with the introduction of the SUMPs for BSR project from Ira Sibelius, special advisor at UBC Sustainable Cities Commission. The topic was further explained in the presentation "SUMP as a tool for cities on the way to climate-neutrality and monitoring as a crucial element of it" delivered by Marcin Wołek, associate professor at the University of Gdansk. Four local perspectives were given by the project partners: "Turku developing its first city-level SUMP" by Juha Pulmuranta, development specialist at the City of Turku; "Pilots promoting active mobility" by Maarja Käger, project manager at the Institute of Baltic Studies; "Improving bicycle traffic in Greifswald" by Saskia Seidel, mobility planner at the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald; and "Panevėžys promoting cycling in schools" by Augustas Makrickas, Deputy Head of the Spatial Planning and Architecture Division at Panevėžys City Municipality.