What has been overlooked in methodologies and concepts?

In terms of expertise, the conference will focus on the presentation of the Urban and Active Mobility Concept 2021-2030 (hereinafter referred to as the Concept), approved by the Government on 11 January 2021, as a supporting methodological document for finding solutions to sustainable urban mobility issues at local and regional levels, and as a strategic document for cycling and walking. Furthermore, the conference will present the updated procedural Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan methodology, also approved in 2021. Although the topic of sustainable urban mobility has been discussed for many years, the essential theses and ideas are still eluding the key players.

Therefore, it is important to recall the theses and ideas at the conference, which will happen in the following blocks:

May 17, 2022 – morning block

Sustainable Urban Mobility Communication Plan

Towns are willing to pay up to CZK 2 million for the development of the plan, while max. CZK 50,000 for communication activities.
Why is communication often underestimated so much?

CityChangers, a platform for citizens, municipalities and companies to change the way we look at mobility issues

Making changes is not possible without active and engaged people
The fact should be acknowledged that the implementation of some measures is often failing

May 17, 2022 – afternoon block:

Broader context of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan

It is still the case that for towns and cities the first and foremost reason to develop a SUMP is the possibility to get a grant
SUMPs should be delivered for different reasons - to enhance local economy and public health, to protect the environment and increase traffic safety
The plan should be built on a vision of the future with naturally incorporated technologies, innovations and related services.

May 18, 2022 – morning block:

CykloVize 2030 & the transport network for cyclists in the European context

This is not about cycling tourism, but cycling as a transport. Transport network for cyclists always starts in a town, and that's what every sustainable urban mobility plan should start as well.

The development of the City of Short Distances concept

A concept often mentioned in media, however, little applied in practice.

Sustainable Urban Mobility Communication Plan

An important topic which is at the beginning of the conference, and also at its ending. In the future, will there be a national campaign to promote sustainable urban mobility, or only local and separated campaigns?

Legislation

New (old?) initiatives

How to break down the walls between us

The conference has one more dimension which the subheading expresses: Breaking down the walls. The conference aims to help break down the barriers to faster delivery of urban and active mobility that is climate-friendly, safe and fair for all, whatever their preferred means of travel, but not hindering the goals of sustainable travel.

Indeed, as we can see, there's a lack of empathy and willingness to listen to others... We can see walls built between cyclists and drivers, the young and the older, the administration and the public, between people with different ideas about urban mobility solutions, about climate change, e-mobility, or public space use, etc. Those walls are built by our tendency to promote our own interests only, while being negative to other people's arguments without thinking properly. As a society, we are divided into groups that live their lives separated by high walls.

Let's make 2022 the year of breaking down the wall that has been built around urban mobility. The issue of transport and traveling first and foremost is about people, the users, not about the infrastructure. Let's bear this in mind as a technicist approach often turns good ideas into platitudes.

Let's do it! A rock band whose legendary concert in Berlin 1990 ended up tearing down the most solid wall that divided the world and was seemingly untouchable will help us.

That is why, for the first time in the history of our conferences, we have taken the liberty of including three songs by Pink Floyd in the main programme, the opening session. And as we want the songs to be performed live, we invited the Czech band Kanci paní nadlesní to do so:

10:15 a.m. Pink Floyd, The Wall; The barriers between us. Petr Simandel, Kanci paní nadlesní
10:55 a.m. Pink Floyd, Comfortably Numb; Hallo, is there anybody out there? Petr Simandel, Kanci paní nadlesní
11:55 a.m. Pink Floyd, Hey You, Petr Simandel, Kanci paní nadlesní

So as not to be misunderstood, from 11:00 a.m., Ing. Petr Král, Ph.D., Head of the Department of International Business, Faculty of International Relations, University of Economics in Prague, will explain from a professional point of view why the chosen songs support the concept of the conference.

The conference is held under the auspices of Martin Kupka, the Minister of Transport,
and Zbynek Horelica, director of the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure (SFDI).