Launch of activity
Members of the INTEREST Laboratory within the Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics Engineering of the University of West Attica (UniWA) participate in the consortium of the research project entitled “SMAPE- Shared Mobility Action Programmes Exchange” which has been evaluated and approved for funding within the framework of the Interregional Cooperation Program Interreg Europe. The Scientific Responsible of UniWA for the project is the member of our lab, Assistant Professor Panagiotis Papantoniou.
The “SMAPE- Shared Mobility Action Programmes Exchange” project aims to improve shared mobility policies in seven European countries. The project is set to run for 4 years with a follow-up closure phase of three months, being co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and national resources. By adopting the collaborative approach and promoting the exchange of experience and knowledge between project partners including UniWA, the project seeks to achieve zero-carbon urban mobility while contributing to the overall policy goal of a Greener Europe.
The project activities have been officially kicked off at the partner meeting that was successfully held in Bremen, Germany, on 26th and 27th of April 2023, where the UniWA representative, Ass.Proff.Papantoniou, had the chance to meet the consortium.
SMAPE project
Since urbanization has led to increasing transport demand in European cities and regions resulting in high emissions and congestion, the sustainability of cities is affected. Although there has been a modal shift from private cars to more sustainable modes of transport, car use continues to increase in absolute numbers. In order to address that, SMAPE consortium, consisting of partners from Belgium, Germany, Norway, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, and Romania, aims to facilitate the development of new forms of shared mobility by introducing policies and concrete actions that accelerate the adoption of shared mobility services.
More specifically, the project will focus on aspects like shared mobility integration with public transport and Mobility as a Service (MaaS), the use of data for monitoring and policy adjustments, influencing attitudes and behaviour, and optimizing the mix of mobility modes, regulations, and frameworks for public-private partnerships.
UniWA members, in collaboration with the Regional Development Fund of the North Aegean Region, are going to influence relevant policy measures in the islands of the North Aegean by introducing the concept of shared mobility into the policy instrument and promoting, in general, sustainable mobility with the aim of changing the behavior of citizens and tourists.
Through the project, local stakeholders will be engaged to ensure a smooth implementation of shared mobility policies, to achieve their active involvement towards co-ownership of solutions and to understand their needs and concerns. Additionally, stakeholders will be able to provide feedback and inputs that will enhance the project’s outputs. Thus, among other activities, regional workshops will be held in the North Aegean to gather stakeholders’ opinions and feedback with the aim of their active participation, the cultivation of a culture of vehicle sharing, the strengthening of sustainable mobility practices on the respective islands. This way, the needs of the territory will be identified and highlighted, concerns and expectations will be recorded, and the project will achieve optimal results.
Project partners
- Free Hanseatic City of Bremen
- Province of Mantua
- Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Development Agency
- City of Bergen
- Regional Development Agency of Ljubljana Urban Region
- Autodelen.net – Carshare Belgium
- POLIS Network
- University of West Attica
- Walloon Public Transport Authority
- Regional Development Fund of North Aegean Region
More information about the project can be found on the project website https://www.interregeurope.eu/smape
Stay tuned and join SMAPE’s social networks LinkedIn and Twitter!