Source: European Commission

The city of Bologna in Italy and Czech association Pěšky městem have been announced as the winners of the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award and the MOBILITYACTION Award, respectively. The awards were presented at a ceremony hosted by the European Commission in Brussels on 27 March, in recognition of activities conducted in 2024.

During the awards ceremony, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, said: “This year’s winners have excelled in designing vibrant, people-friendly public spaces which are not only green but also thriving hubs of community and connection. The finalists have demonstrated that popular tourist destinations can also serve local communities by promoting sustainable transport. Congratulations to all!”

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award 2024

Bologna was selected for having made sustainable mobility concepts and activities more accessible to the public. During the 2024 EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, the city organised various information stands and educational activities on the theme of sustainable urban mobility plans, and the transformation of public spaces. Local private and citizen-led organisations participated in event planning, helping to foster a sense of community ownership. One specific initiative, Bologna 30, was highlighted – under this scheme, 70% of the municipality’s roads have been permanently reduced to 30 km/h zones. Bologna also concluded EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK with a car-free day in the city’s historical and commercial centre.

The other finalists in this award category were Braga (Portugal) and Leipzig (Germany).

MOBILITYACTION Award 2024

Czech association Pěšky městem (which translates as ‘Walking through the city’) was selected for its successful promotion of active mobility, with a nationwide campaign that saw participation by 501 schools in 338 cities, where children and parents were encouraged to walk to school during EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK. The campaign emphasised the health and environmental benefits of walking, and promotes the learning of safe, healthy and sustainable transport habits from an early age. The campaign also amplified the 2024 theme of EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, ‘Shared public space’, by promoting and fostering safer, more inclusive communities with reduced car traffic volumes in schools’ vicinities. e volume of car traffic in the vicinity of schools.

The other finalists in this award category were Associació Amics de Ca la Cileta del Palau d’Anglesola (El Palau d’Anglesola, Spain) and Bucharest-Ilfov Public Transport Intercommunity Development Association (Bucharest, Romania).

A special mention was given to the small town of Solčava in Slovenia, for its notable efforts in engaging both senior and younger residents on sustainable urban mobility. With only 500 inhabitants, the town showcased that rural communities can play a vital role in encouraging greater use of public transport among residents.

Awards background

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK (16-22 September every year) is the European Commission’s leading campaign on sustainable urban mobility. It promotes behavioural change in favour of active mobility, public transport and other clean transport solutions.

A MOBILITYACTION is an initiative promoting sustainable urban mobility, with the aim of lowering carbon emissions, improving air quality and making Europe’s towns and cities more pleasant places to live and work. These may include schemes organised by businesses, educational institutions, citizen initiatives, municipalities, and more, and can be registered all year round.

In 2024, over 2,700 towns and cities from 45 countries participated in EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, and over 900 businesses, educational institutions, civil society organisations, citizen initiatives and municipalities registered a MOBILITYACTION.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.mobilityweek.eu.