The sudden appearance of e-scooters, some cycling paths or other single mobility measures here and there will not increase the use of sustainable modes of mobility – at least not in a longer term.

At the core of planning and implementing sustainable mobility activities, measures and strategies needs to be the goal to change behaviors, to communicate a bigger understanding why it is important to change your ways for health, safety, the climate – both physically as well as mentally.

The cities.multimodal project addresses these changes from different angles:  city partners are  planning strategically for a multimodal pilot area defining and implementing different mobility measures together with their citizens. They build physical multimodal mobility points –a place for interchange between at least two sustainable modes of transport, ideally complemented with other useful services. But infrastructural measures cannot stand alone, they can only provide the “hardware” for enabling multimodal mobility. Innovative mobility management concepts with schools & kindergartens as well as with companies and investors, campaigns and temporary activities engaging the local community in the processes – this is what aims to make the change and  to create a multimodal mindset.

We need to sow the idea that it does not always need the private car, but work, schools, kindergartens, leisure time activities can also be reached with a combination of other modes and with greater benefits for all.

Text: Esther Kreutz

Picture: Brainstorming for a living street campaign, City of Rostock