Guide to Sustainable Urban Transport

Moving Sustainably
Guide to Sustainable Urban Transport Plans

Acknowledgements

The Moving Sustainably – Guide to Sustainable Urban Transport Plans has been written by Sakari Saarinen and Anna Granberg at Union of the Baltic Cities Commission
on Environment, Michael Koucky at Union of the Baltic Cities Commission on Transport, Sönke Behrends at Chalmers University of Technology and Allen Creedy at
ethics etc..., BUSTRIP city cases are written by Virpi Kaukavuori and Sakari Saarinen.

Thanks to the BUSTRIP city coordinators and their colleagues, Alicja Pawlowska - city of Gdynia, Gunilla Fransson - city of Göteborg, James McGeever - city of Kaunas,
Hannu Koverola - Kouvola Region, Dace Liepniece and Mara Zeltina - city of Liepaja, Karri Tiigisoon and Grete Kukk - city of Pärnu, Christer Tarberg - city of Sundsvall,
Marek Muiste - city of Tartu, Mikko Laaksonen - city of Turku, Danguole Vaitkiene and Aurelija Babiliute - city of Vilnius, Per Elvingson - city of Örebro, Michael
Frömming and Michael Glotz-Richter - city of Bremen, for providing us with your experiences and for great cooperation.

Thanks to the BUSTRIP Project Steering Group; Magnus Blinge, Maria Lindholm and Sönke Behrends - Chalmers University of Technology, Sofie Vennersten, Lisa
Sundell and Michael Koucky - UBC Commission on Transport, Allen Creedy - ethics etc..., Anna Granberg, Sakari Saarinen and Björn Grönholm - UBC Commission on
Environment.

Thanks to Per Elvingson, Maria Lindholm, James McGeever, Sofie Vennersten, Heidi Tuhkanen, Virpi Kaukavuori, Kyösti Lempa, Eija Eloranta and Stella Aaltonen for
valuable comments and to Paul W Harrison for proof-reading.

Moving Sustainably - Guide to Sustainable Urban Transport Plans
Moving Sustainably is the final product of the BUSTRIP project part-financed by European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within the BSR INTERREG IIIB Neighbourhood
programme, the Finnish Ministry of Environment and the partner cities. The guide book reflects the authors’ views and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the
European Commission.
The BUSTRIP project is part of the UBC Agenda 21 Programme 2004-2009 – Roadmap for Sustainable Baltic Cities.
© Union of the Baltic Cities Commission on Environment
More copies of the guide book can be ordered at www.movingsustainably.net
Printed on 100 % recycled paper at Painoprisma Oy, a Nordic Swan environmentally certified printing house.
This document may only be copied in its entirety and without any kind of alteration. It may be quoted from provided that the Moving Sustainably - Guide to
Sustainable Urban Transport Plans is stated as the source.
Photographs: see page 75
Layout design by Sari Bowie
ISBN 978-952-5725-17-9

Moving Sustainably
Guide to Sustainable Urban Transport Plans

“We are not only doing this for
traﬃc. We are doing this for creating
a more liveable city.”

CONTENTS
1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 5

2. Planning process............................................................................................................................. 10
2.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
2.2. Players of the game – Responsibility and organisation ...................................................................................................................... 11
2.3. Work together – Policy coordination through actor cooperation ...................................................................................................... 13
2.4. Involve and engage – Stakeholder cooperation and citizen participation ........................................................................................... 16
2.5. Respect all – Equality and gender equity .......................................................................................................................................... 21
2.6. Keep on learning – Capacity building .............................................................................................................................................. 24
2.7. The name of the game – Scope and definition .................................................................................................................................. 27
2.8. Starting position – Baseline review ................................................................................................................................................... 30
2.9. Guiding star – Vision ....................................................................................................................................................................... 35
2.10. Find the resources – Identifying finances .......................................................................................................................................... 38

3. Implementation .............................................................................................................................. 40
3.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
3.2. Make it SMART – Objectives and targets ........................................................................................................................................ 41
3.3. Earmark the resources – Allocating finances ..................................................................................................................................... 44
4 3.4. Take the positions – Assignment of responsibilities........................................................................................................................... 46
3.5. Make it for real – Adoption and approval ......................................................................................................................................... 48
3.6. Keep the right track – Monitoring and assessment ........................................................................................................................... 50

4. Striving for better urban living and mobility ........................................................................................ 54
4.1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 54
4.2. Close and easy – Reduced need for transport .................................................................................................................................... 55
4.3. Efficient travelling – Strengthening sustainable transport modes....................................................................................................... 58
4.4. Healthy and pleasant – Clean and silent transport system ................................................................................................................ 62
4.5. Rethinking goods transport – Efficient urban logistics .................................................................................................................... 64

Appendix 1 – EU SUTP qualities ............................................................................................................ 68

Appendix 2 - Policy documents ............................................................................................................ 70

Appendix 3 - Good practice databases ................................................................................................... 70

Appendix 4 – Glossary ........................................................................................................................ 71


1. INTRODUCTION

As people travel to buy goods and use services, they generate traffic. It is encompass visioning, partnerships, involvement, policy and finance op-
the ordinary day-to-day activities of urban residents – going to the shops, tion appraisal and a review of existing implementation programmes and
visiting the dentist or attending school – that generate traffic. Your city, mechanisms. The process of SUT planning is at least as important as the
as many cities today, face a multitude of challenges related to these activi- completed SUT plan
ties, congestion, noise, air quality issues, health, safety, quality of life and
The process of preparing the plan should be carefully considered and
the problem with a multitude of diverting policies in the field of urban
agreed with all relevant stakeholders. Human and financial resources will
transport. On the global level, the challenge of climate change and its
be required to manage the SUT planning process. New institutional, or-
environmental, health and economic impacts are strongly connected to
ganisational and communication arrangements may be required. Existing
transport and unsustainable mobility behaviour.
arrangements should be reviewed with stakeholders as part of the process
These challenges are the driving forces behind the recent calls for powerful of agreeing on the new arrangements. An essential element of the SUT
measures on the local transport arena. Urban mobility issues are complex planning is the free and unhindered exchange of information, knowledge
and cannot be successfully solved by simple transport plans. They require and views. The process and the supporting resources should support the
radical new policy instruments together with an integrated approach to open and transparent process of SUT planning.
mobility and the design of our cities. Sustainable Urban Transport Plans
SUT plan
(SUTP) have been strongly recommended by the European Union as
the foundation upon which a new approach to transport can be built. The SUT plan is a tool to provide more sustainable ways of meeting the
Embracing radical new policies and facilitating the necessary integration mobility and transport needs for people and goods in urban areas. It com- 5
of transport, urban and economic planning. prehensively addresses public and private transport, motorised and non-
motorised transport, moving and parked vehicles as well as freight trans-
The preparation and adoption of a Sustainable Urban Transport Plan is
port and logistics. These transport categories are dealt with in an integrated
a process that often requires new ways of thinking, cross departmental
way. The SUT plan should become a guiding document for all sectors of
cooperation and integration of different policy areas. Comprehensive new
planning that involve, affect or are affected by transport. The SUT plan
tools together with guidance on their use are required to help the cities to
should express a shared vision on the development of transport in the city
both understand and get started with the SUTP process. This SUTP guide
in the framework of sustainability and provide a strategy to systematically
‘Moving Sustainably’ is based on the Baltic Sea Region INTERREG III
work towards this goal.
B project BUSTRIP (Baltic Urban Sustainable Transport Implementation
and Planning, www.bustrip-project.net). BUSTRIP has supported twelve In short the SUT plan is the working document developed by the city to
Northern European cities in their groundbreaking efforts to be the first address the challenge of achieving sustainable urban transport.
cities in Europe to prepare and implement SUTPs. The objective of this
guide is to provide tools and guidance for transport and urban planners
and decision-makers on how to plan and implement sustainable urban
transport.
A Sustainable Urban Transport Plan has two basic components:
SUT planning

Introduction
The process of preparing an SUTP – SUT planning – requires ongo-
ing and effective local and regional cooperation and collaboration. This
joint effort between administrations, agencies and stakeholders needs to


Process cycle
Transforming urban mobility and urban planning practice into sustainable SUTP calls for an extensive involvement of stakeholders from outside the
practice is a long process. Our unsustainable transport patterns and infra- city administration; NGOs, citizens and business representatives. It re-
structure have emerged over the course of decades. Our infrastructure, our quires close cooperation with national and regional governments to ensure
cities and the expectations we have for mobility and transport cannot be compliance with their strategic plans, recognising that in order to make
changed overnight. The starting point is different for each city; political progress towards the sustainable development there is a need to consider
situation, national and regional characteristics and the resources available. the transport and mobility of the whole of a functional urban area – since
Therefore every city has to find its own, workable solution for the SUTP mobility does not recognise administrative boundaries. The SUTP requires
process. an inclusive approach that acknowledges the equality of all individuals and
groups and their rights to participate in decision making.
The figure on page 7 visualises the general process of the SUTP. The outer
circle and the block arrow on the right hand show the SUT planning part One fundamental ingredient of an SUTP is the utilisation of a ‘sustainable
and the inner circle shows the SUT plan process. The model illustrates the city vision’ as a starting point for the SUTP work. This vision demonstrates
need for regular update and feedback to the organisation on the progress of how long term hopes and aspirations of the plan can serve as the ‘guiding
the plan. Policy coordination, stakeholder cooperation, equity and gender stars’ for the whole process, how they can be used to stimulate interest
equality and capacity building continuously inform the development and and involvement and how useful they can be used in the marketing of the
6
implementation of the Sustainable Urban Transport Plan and its actions. work. For a successful SUTP the setting of measurable and time-limited
targets is crucial; in fact, without these it is not even possible to evaluate
City experiences as basis for the guidance the plan. To measure and follow-up on the impact of the actions is another
crucial aspect of the plan.
The concept of SUTP used in this guide is directed towards small- and
medium-sized cities. These cities are taking their first steps in the process
that is aimed at improving the city transport – by making it more sustain-
able, co-operative and integrated. It can also be used by cities that already
have elements of a SUTP that would like to further integrate, upgrade and
extend their efforts. By ‘cities’ in this guidebook we refer local authorities
of all sizes.
The guidance is based on findings, experiences and good practices of the
BUSTRIP partner cities. The experiences show that SUTP process must
build on the existing strengths and opportunities of a city. Above all, in-
tegration is the key to SUTP. The integration of different policy areas can
lead to beneficial consequences on the environment; lowered air quality
emissions and lower noise levels for example. It can also support improve-
ments in personal health and in more sustainable lifestyle patterns.
Introduction


Reduced need for Enchanced Clean and silent Efficient urban
transport modal shift transport system logistics

ACTION

Scope and
definition
Policy
Responsibility and coordination
organisation

Baseline Review
Allocating
finances Stakeholder 7
cooperation

Objectives and
Adoption and Assignment of Equity and
targets
approval responsibilities gender equality

Monitoring and
assessment Capacity building

Identifying
finances

Vision
SUT plan

SUT planning
SUTP Process cycle


User introduction
The ‘Moving Sustainably’ guidance consists of the guidebook and the web- The Moving Sustainably website www.movingsustainably.net includes not
site for Sustainable Urban Transport Plans. only all the guidebook information but also all the templates and forms
for the SUTP work that have been developed and used in the BUSTRIP
The guidebook is divided into three parts; the first focuses on the process
project. The website will be continuously updated with the information
of preparing the SUT plan; the second concentrates on the effective im-
and links to new policy and good practice documents.
plementation of the plan and the third considers the measures that should
be carried out as a result of the plan. The chapters within the main parts
are the ‘concrete’ steps in the process. Each stage is interlinked and all
users are recommended to consider and assess all the steps of the process. Enjoy the journey through the process of Sustainable Urban
For some local administrations the implementation of some of the steps Transport Plans!
is self-evident and will be normal practice. The guidebook can be used in
different ways; either as a ‘step-by-step’ guide in preparing an SUTP ‘from
scratch’, or it can serve as the basis for carrying out a gap analysis between Authors
the already existing transport planning processes in the city and an SUTP.
8 Each chapter/step of the process includes a why and a how section. This
provides the rationale and practical guidance to complete the work in-
volved in each step. Each chapter concludes with a checklist that provides
a view on what are the most important issues to be ‘checked off’ and
considered for each step of the SUTP for the city. The twelve city cases
(contained within different chapters) present a selection of ‘hands-on’ ex-
periences taken from the twelve BUSTRIP project cities. Each case study
focuses on different steps in the SUTP processes. The BUSTRIP cities
experiences provide practical illustration of how the different steps of the
SUTP process have been carried out by different cities.
The four appendixes of the guidebook include additional information
and links to other information sources. The first appendix introduces the
European Union definition and qualities for SUTP in brief. The second
appendix introduces selected information and links to EU and other poli-
cy documents that are related to sustainable urban transport and to the dif-
ferent steps of the SUTP. The third appendix provides the users with links
to Good Practice databases that include practical examples of sustainable
urban transport systems and actions from other cities around the world.
Introduction

The fourth appendix is the glossary of the guidebook, including words and
terms used in the world of sustainable urban transport.


9


2. PLANNING PROCESS
2.1 Introduction

The following chapters describe the essential
steps required for a sustainable urban transport
planning process. The first chapter ‘responsibil-
ity and organisation’ explains how the process
can only be successful if there is political com-
mitment and support together with clear alloca-
tion of responsibilities and definition of working
methods.
The next four chapters examine ‘policy coordi-
nation through actor cooperation’, ‘stakeholder
cooperation and citizen participation’, ‘equality
and gender equity’ and ‘capacity building’ and
how as planning principles they are essential
pre-requisites for all aspects of SUT planning
and SUTP implementation.
10 The latter four chapters about ‘scope and defini-
tion’, ‘baseline review’, ‘vision’ and ‘identifying
finances’ are the other fundamental elements of
the actual planning process. These elements lay
the ground for the successful SUTP process, and
without these the process and implementation
of SUTP will fail.
Planning process


2.2 Players of the game – Responsibility and organisation

How
Why
Start the SUTP work by appointing a ‘coordina- A work plan is the key document for the whole
Transforming the transport system of a tor’. S/he must have sufficient time, authority SUTP process. It should include as a minimum,
city into a sustainable transport system is and control over resources to direct and manage the SUTP process budget, a stakeholder involve-
a challenging and time-demanding process the inter-sectoral working group through the ment plan, communication plan, how research
that is worth being systematically planned SUTP process. The inter-sectoral SUTP work- and information will be collected in relation to
and continuously managed. It requires col- ing group should involve representatives from the baseline review, key milestone dates, a sched-
laboration and coordination between those the key departments/authorities of the munici- ule for the meetings, and an outline of roles and
departments in the city administration pal administration: transport planning, spatial responsibilities specific to the SUTP planning
that either affect or are affected by trans- planning, real estate, social affairs, education, process.
port developments – not only the obvious economical affairs, environmental protection,
transport planning and urban planning sustainability departments/units etc. Key exter-
departments but also the environmental nal stakeholders such as regional authorities and
protection, economics and social integra- neighbouring municipality representatives may
tion departments must be involved. A clear be invited to special meetings with the working
organisational structure and the assignment group. It is also advisable to assign a senior lead 11
of responsibilities are prerequisites for the officer to be accountable to the political leader-
successful and sustainable transformation ship for the administrative, financial and techni-
of urban transport. cal aspects of the SUTP work.
It is essential that the SUTP work has political
support. The ideal situation is that the SUTP
process is initiated by the political leadership. To
appoint one political representative who has the
responsibility and is accountable for the SUTP
work is advisable. This politician‘s role is to par-
ticipate in the management of the SUTP, moni-
tor the achievement of targets, ensure that mile-
stones are achieved and closely follow the work
of the inter-sectoral SUTP working group.


Improving the collaboration and cooperation
between departments is a pre-requisite both for
the successful planning of the SUTP and the
implementation of its actions. The inter-secto-
ral SUTP working group is not only the starting
point for this improvement but also one of the
mechanisms necessary for ensuring that it con-
tinues.

12

Checklist
The basic elements to start the process and inter-sectoral working group:
There is a political mandate and support for SUTP work
There is a political representative for the SUTP work who is actively involved in the process
There is a coordinator with responsibility and the resources for organising the SUTP work
Representatives from key stakeholder departments regularly participate in the working group meetings and activities and have the
Planning process

authority to take decisions
The inter-sectoral group work plan includes details of budgets, actions, goals and responsibilities


2.3 Work together – Policy coordination through actor cooperation

How
Why
Policy coordination ensures that the various by traffic within the geographical coverage of
Sustainable urban transport is more than the policy documents and strategies on the city, re- the planning area. This includes national and
management of urban transport carried out gional and national levels are coordinated and regional plans, other relevant citywide plans,
according to sustainability principles – it re- coherent. This demands a system of cooperation transport companies and provider’s plans/strate-
quires coordinated actions across a diversity between different departments within the mu- gies and, last but not least, neighbouring munic-
of policy themes so that land use and spatial nicipality and with other relevant actors. Ideally, ipalities. The SUTP should ensure that transport
planning support and facilitate an efficient the city’s policies from one field to another are and mobility goals are integrated with corporate
urban transport system; there is effective fully compatible and accordant with the goals comprehensive planning and those of other sec-
control over the environmental, economi- for sustainable urban transport. Policies that tors — in particular, land use and spatial plans
cal and social impacts of transport; shared contradict or hinder the achievement of SUTP but also environmental protection, social in-
knowledge exists regarding the health and goals need to be identified, discussed and even clusion, economic development, safety, health,
safety impacts of various transport modes; changed. education and information technologies.
integration takes place with sustainable de-
velopment strategies; and education and The SUTP should link all transport modes and
policy sectors that influence or are influenced
awareness-raising occurs with a transparent 13
exchange of information facilitated through
the use of real-time information technology
support.
A lack of coordination between the various
policies, city departments and external or-
ganisations has been a considerable short-
coming in the urban transport planning
of many cities. A major challenge for the
SUTP process is to address this deficit.


Within a municipally controlled organisation, point towards better policy integration. It is im- All the plans that have been produced by NGOs,
departments sometimes have policies and pro- portant to point out the conflicts in the plans schools, local community groups and businesses
cedures that are in conflict with goals in other and policies to the responsible departments and should be included in the mapping process.
departments or with the goals of sustainable ur- authorities. Similarly, city-based policies require Detailed discussion and research are needed
ban transport. A first step in policy coordination coordination with regional and national goals with relevant regional or national stakeholders
is to identify the existing municipal, regional and policies. A system is needed which checks to include their policies, plans and procedures
and national policies, goals, procedures and ‘how’ and ‘whether’ forward-planning and other in the mapping process.
regulations in various departments that affect policy decisions will conflict with each other.
The next step is to go through and check the ob-
or are affected by urban transport. The map-
jectives and goals (e.g., travel demand reduction,
ping and analysis of existing transport-related
support of non-motorised modes of transport, sup-
plans (policies, etc.) represent a good starting
port for energy-efficient transport, low emissions, a
fair transport system with good accessibility for all
citizen groups, clean and efficient freight transport)
in the identified documents against the goals
for sustainable urban transport. Check whether
14 Checklist they are supporting or conflicting with the local
SUTP goals. Then decide which actions need
Policies and rules that affect transport are identified and listed to be taken to change or influence each of the
Policies and rules are checked for contradictions and support for sustainable urban conflicting goals: bring this list of actions to-
transport gether in an action plan that also describes how
the SUTP is related to the other policy docu-
Policies and rules that conflict with the goals of sustainable urban transport are listed
ments. Invite all relevant actors and stakeholders
A clear hierarchy of policies has been defined to discuss the conflicts identified in the action
plan. Try to agree on the changes that will be
Conflicting goals are pointed out to responsible decision-makers
made to the plans and policies, who will make
Conflicting rules and policies are changed the changes and when.
Regional and national goals that are affected by the cities transport are identified These changes will move the existing polices and
plans from being in conflict to supporting the
Regional and national rules that affect the cities transport issues are identified
goals of sustainable urban transport. The chang-
Regional and national rules that conflict with goals of sustainable urban transport are es may take time to take effect, but should be
listed endorsed by the political leadership.
Planning process

There is transparency in the area of what other policies and plans are part of or linked to
the SUTP


Kouvola Region works for
policy match
In Kouvola Region, the SUTP was connected After the SUTP process started, the working
also to the regional, state level and EU policies. group was extended to include regional public
“We need to look at policies all the way from health services and regional public environ-
top to down, making the whole process more ment center, as well as citizens and other rel-
coherent and influence policies and processes evant stakeholders. “The group bases its work
made by regional and national actors”, says on an agreement, a letter of intent signed by
Hannu Koverola, Planning Manager for the all relevant parties to implement traffic policy
Kouvola Region Federation of Municipalities. in harmony with the Kouvola region transport
system plan” Koverola says.
“Sustainable urban transport is one of our pri-
orities. Authorities and organizations which The challenge is to get all parties to stick to this
decide on funding also play a key role also in agreement. Until now, policy coordination has
implementing policies. The federation of mu- been useful in planning land use. The target 15
nicipalities is present in regional projects in a is to promote sustainable modes of transport
way or another, either being experts, financer by making it real all the way from cooperating
or coordinators.” on policies to implementing joint actions with
sufficient resources.
In Kouvola, an inter-sectoral working group
was created as a result of the regional trans-
port plan. The working group has representa-
tives from Regional Council, Finnish Road
Administration, Finnish Rail Administration,
State provincial Office and all seven munici-
palities.


2.4 Involve and engage – Stakeholder cooperation and citizen participation

Why How
Stakeholder cooperation is the involvement Stakeholder involvement is the start- Stakeholders and citizens should be involved and
of and cooperation with citizens and other ing point for stimulating the behavioural be able to participate early in the SUTP process.
stakeholders like NGOs, businesses and changes that are needed to complement the Stakeholders should be offered opportunities to
other actors in a planning process. The UN/ technical actions necessary for the imple- influence the key stages of the planning process:
Habitat defines stakeholders as those mentation of a sustainable urban transport building the vision, defining objectives and tar-
system. By involving sustainable transport gets, measuring development, setting priorities
• whose interests are affected by the issue
opponents – like passionate car users – in and undertaking evaluation. The views of stake-
or those whose activities strongly affect
stakeholder decision-making processes they holders and citizens are needed before plans are
the issue
are often converted into sustainable mov- developed.
• who possess information, resources
ers!
and expertise needed for strategy
formulation and implementation, and
• who control relevant implementation or
instruments
16
Stakeholder participation has a series of
advantages:
• Participatory policy making is more
transparent and democratic
• A decision made together with
many stakeholders is based on more
knowledge
• Broad consensus is essential to improve
the quality, acceptance, effectiveness and
legitimacy of any plan
• Stakeholder involvement improves the
broader support of measures
• Broad consensus and sense of
participation in planning ensures the
Planning process

long-term acceptance and
viability of strategies and measures.


There are various degrees of involvement.
‘Informing’ is at one extreme whilst ‘delegating
power’ or ‘empowering’ is at the other. To make
a successful SUTP, it is highly recommended
and entirely necessary to involve, collaborate
with and form partnerships with stakehold-
ers in the process. Depending on the degree of
involvement and the nature of the stakeholder,
various methods can be used that will encourage
participation in the SUTP process.
Inform – One-way dissemination of informa-
tion. Informing is needed as a part of the process
of passing information to stakeholders about the
progress of the SUTP work. Informing does not
allow stakeholders to participate in the planning
process for SUTP. 17
Consult – Two-way communication involve-
ment; the receiving of information and input,
through listening and reading, and then the ex-
change of views regarding draft, early or outline
ideas and suggestions for the SUTP.
Involve – Interactive discussion and dialogue
that serves as a supplement to an existing city
decision-making process. Collaborate – Stakeholder representatives at the Partnership – Form of joint decision-making by
same table with the planners acting as active a shared agreement. Partnership is cooperation
team members in formulating and recommend- where both sides hold veto power over decisions.
ing alternatives. The ﬁnal decision is made by It is mainly used when cooperating with equal
the city representatives. partners like NGOs and private enterprises.

”Participation is a
precondition for best quality
in planning process.”


Empower - Decisions are made by a group or Another way of looking at local stakeholders
organization with specific delegation of power is to see them as experts in local circumstances
from the authorities: for example, youth parlia- and in their specific area of expertise. For exam-
ments and local boards. ple, the local residents of a street know exactly
where street crossing is dangerous. Moreover, an
If a city has a little experience of working with
organisation serving handicapped people will
stakeholder participation, it is wise to start at a
have a profound practical knowledge of the dif-
smaller scale. To build capacity, the stakeholder
ficulties with shopping in a wheelchair and what
cooperation should start on a limited scale and
needs to be improved.
be based on the learning experiences from stake-
holder cooperation. With this learning, pilot
projects can become mainstream procedures.
Another way of attaining experience is to start
on a lower level of participation with for exam-
ple ‘involvement’ and grow more ambitious us-
ing ‘partnerships’ as the organisation gains more
18 capacity. It is beneficial to involve a facilitator
with mediation skills. The facilitator will inter-
pret, arbitrate and mediate between the politi- Stakeholder involvement Matrix
cians/officers/planners and the stakeholders.
Stakeholder cooperation can be seen by politi-
cians and professionals as a challenge to their
credibility and reputation in the organisation. It In need of Potential for
is extremely important to be receptive and be Highly affected
by transport empowerment! change!
aware that planning and decision-making need
to be shared with people from a diverse range of
backgrounds – both political and professional.
Communication is crucial for a successful stake-
Least important Critical group - potential
holder process. Communicate successes, set for behavioural change
Not affected group
backs, delays and reasons why a certain decision by transport
has been made.
Planning process

Not affecting Highly affecting
transport transport


It is advisable to start a citizen and stakeholder 3. Create a table describing how various
cooperation scheme in a city using careful plan- stakeholders groups will be involved at
ning. First, decide on the goals of the stake- separate stages of the SUTP process and to
holder cooperation. Below is one example of the what degree. Select the means of commu-
step-by-step process for a stakeholder coopera- nication between the working group and
tion plan for the whole SUTP process, enabling the stakeholders and the methods that
strategic stakeholder cooperation. should be used.
1. Define an objective for your stakeholder 4. Implement stakeholder participation
co-operation; is it to enable more transpar- using these steps in the various stages
ent decision-making, to gain more knowl- of the SUTP process. It is better to
edge or something else with a specific goal. start with a less ambitious, but well
planned and well-implemented stake
2. Perform a stakeholder analysis to identify
holder process than with a very ambitious
the stakeholder groups. Carry out a
involvement process that may bring about
brainstorm within the inter-sectoral work
disappointment.
ing group to identify who are the relevant
stakeholders. Define stakeholders within 19
the public, as well as private and com-
munity sector. Place them in a Stakeholder
involvement Matrix.

Checklist
Relevant citizen/private stakeholder groups are identified
Is there a strategy for the involvement of the stakeholders
It is defined how they affect or are affected by municipal transport issues
Are relevant stakeholders involved in the SUTP work


“Give people a chance to be part
of the process!”
The city of Tartu has carried out stakeholder It is important to be clear on why the city
cooperation seminars and working groups in should involve stakeholders. In Tartu, it has
preparing their SUTP. The city already had not been only about getting more support on
two existing transport related working groups. the issue, but also building visions and set-
“We had an easy start, something to base our ting targets. “Participation creates pressure on
work on. In SUTP, our job was to expand politicians. Issues related to the quality of life
these groups and generate a new cooperation or health don’t always seem to be important
model”, Marek Muiste, International Project for decision-makers.”
Coordinator, tells.
During the SUTP process, the city of Tartu has
Stakeholders include NGOs and private en- also been discussing overall sustainability and
terprises, and the seminars were open to the knowledge campaigns. It is worthwhile being
general public. The participation of stake- optimistic, since raising the overall awareness
20
holders has given the process real added value. is about expanding the knowledge from core
The baseline review and SWOT analysis for stakeholder groups to the general public.
the SUTP were also carried out with the help
“During the SUTP process, our stakeholders
of stakeholder groups, as it was the case with
have had good access to relevant information.
the peer review report. “In SUTP, the stake-
The SUTP team and the stakeholders have be-
holders have in fact had very much power”,
come more aware of sustainable transport.”
Muiste says.
Addressing the stakeholder groups needs
careful planning. The more challenging part
is changing the overall behaviour of the citi-
zens: their participation is also a crucial ele-
ment. Unawareness and ignorance can create
an increasing number of cars. “And the bigger
the car the better! These are the kind of at-
titudes we need to battle against.”
Planning process


2.5 Respect all – Equality and gender equity

How
Why
In the SUT planning process ensure that there between the genders. In the inter-sectoral work-
Gender equality means giving both genders is a gender balance in the inter-sectoral working ing group, consider gender participation in each
equal access to services and equal oppor- group and all other groups involved. In stake- of the stages of the planning process:
tunity to inﬂuence the transport system. holder consultations ensure that all relevant
Use of transport diﬀers between men and • Decision-making
groups of interest are equally represented.
women. Although the gap has been clos- • Involvement procedures
ing during the last couple of years, men in One easy method to use is the 3R -method, • Employment in the agencies involved
general still exhibit more non-sustainable where the organisation’s gender status is evalu- • Design of policies and measures
travel behaviour than women. Although ated. This method helps to respond to the ques- • Implementation
many studies have explored the reasons, no tion “who gets what, and under which circum- • Collection and use of gender-disaggregated
comprehensive explanation has been found stances”: in other words, how men and women data in the monitoring and evaluation
as to why women use sustainable modes to are represented in the SUTP work and imple- of plans and strategies
a greater extent than men. mentation and how the resources are distributed

21


Furthermore, analyse the following questions:
Representation – How many men, how many
women? The response to this question gives a Checklist
view of the representation in political bodies,
working groups, stakeholder groups and so on. Gender equality is taken into account in the SUT planning process and within the SUT
plan itself
Resources – How are resources divided between
men and women? Who gets the resources: mon- There is a balanced gender representation amongst decision-makers concerning transport
ey, time, information and space? issues

Reality – Under this heading the facts gathered There is equal accessibility for all groups considered in planning and decision-making
in representation as well as the resources should (equity, e.g., for the handicapped, elderly or parents)
be analysed to decide on the values and norms
that guide the planning process and the munici-
pal organisation to be visualised. The questions
that will be answered are: Why is the representa-
22 tion as it is? Who sets the norms in the organisa-
tion and who gets the resources?
On the basis of the 3R analyses, it can be con-
cluded if the SUT planning process promotes
equality and whether the organisation is carry-
ing out the SUTP in a way that promotes equal-
ity. It also oﬀers a view on what can be changed
in the planning process and how the organisa-
tion can better promote equality. The results
have links to the whole value base of the entire
organisation. (3R method is developed by the
Swedish Association of Local Authorities and
Regions, http://www.skl.se/).
Planning process


Equality is about seeing things
from different angles
How to make sure there are equal opportu- high technology, or buying cars. It seems to be
nities for all members of the society to have a goal for the younger generations.”
influence over public transport? The balance
Children form the majority of bicycle users
between professional groups, different age
in Lithuania. So far, cycling has not been a
groups, gender and accessibility has been kept
major mode of transport in the cities. “There
in mind in the SUTP process in Vilnius.
are problems related to safety, and not enough
Aurelija Babiliute, Chief Specialist in Vilnius parking lots for bicycles near the school yards.
Healthy Cities Bureau, thinks it is important We need to take that into account in planning,
to count every possible opinion. Balance – re- and encourage children by already starting the
gardless of whether this is about the balance education in kindergartens and schools.”
between men and women, children and adults
In Vilnius, the disabled have also been heard 23
or the healthy and the disabled – means seeing
in public meetings. Their special needs are al-
transport issues from each and every angle.
ways kept in mind when planning new things.
Gender is one of the most complicated “It is sometimes difficult in older parts of the
questions. “On a professional level, gender city because of lack of space. For example, we
shouldn’t be an issue”, Babiliute says. “There can’t really change much at the Unesco World
are certain professional fields that are male- Heritage site.”
dominated. But if the person is open-mind-
ed, it shouldn’t make a difference.” And why
not test bus stops, sidewalks, parking areas
and safety with mothers – or fathers – tak-
ing young children to day-care or the grocery
store!
In Lithuania, there is a special difference be-
tween the older and younger generations.
Many users of public transport had a habit of
Planning process

using such services during the Soviet period.
“It is sometimes difficult for them to see why
younger generations are so enthusiastic about


2.6 Keep on learning – Capacity building

How
Why
Assess the capacity of the staff and the organi- 2. Study visit - visit the city that has succeeded
An SUTP requires a new way of thinking. sation when conducting the baseline review. in meeting the challenge. Try to learn from
Instead of expressions like ‘road capacity’, Sufficient allocation of resources will be dealt the city’s experience and consider how to use
‘road standards’ and ‘bottle necks’, the vo- with in the chapter dealing with assignment of its experiences in the implementation practice
cabulary should change to more sustain- responsibilities. A city administration that does in your own city, in a targeted manner.
able terms that are less orientated towards have an existing system for mapping capacity 3. Transfer the practice – carry out a feasibility
mechanical and engineering terms such as should use it. Otherwise the following steps are study. What are the differences in the cities,
‘intermodality’, ‘modal shift’ and ‘mobility helpful: what are the similarities, how can their prac-
management’. SUTP is also so much more
1. Assess the capacity under the different tice be transferred to your city’s setting?
than only transport planning. It involves sta-
keholder cooperation, inter-sectoral work- headlines of the SUTP process 4. Implement – adjust the practice to your
ing methods, gender equality issues and 2. Analyse the weaknesses of the organisation, local situation and start with a pilot action in
accessibility issues – ‘unpaved ground’ for the leadership and the staff your city to see if it will have a desired effect in
many ‘transport planners’. The process of 3. Prepare a simple action plan on how to the city. ‘Upscale’ the pilot action to the whole
24 stakeholder cooperation will provide op- overcome the weaknesses or part of the city.
portunities for officers and politicians Study visits and pilot actions are two useful Learning through pilot actions
to learn new skills, become aware of new models for attaining capacity in the field of im-
concepts and deepen their appreciation of plementing good and effective measures in the 1. Decide on the actions to be taken, and
SUTP. Open-minded approaches will foster SUTP: ensure they are ‘fit for purpose’ – they will
individual and organisational learning and achieve the targets in the SUTP. Does the
build capacity for the SUTP. Targeted practise transfer through city need ‘mobility management’, ‘Local
study visits Environmental Zone’ or ‘traffic calming plan’
Although the SUTP process itself is a capac-
or something similar to fulfil the targets?
ity building process, it is advisable to map 1. Benchmarking – compare the city’s chal-
the capacity that already exists within the 2. Small is beautiful - start in a smaller area of
lenges with those of other cities. Base some
organisations working with SUTP. This can the city or in one theme of action. Carry out
questions on your own targets asking the fol-
be done as part of the baseline review. The a baseline review (if the SUTP baseline review
lowing: How can we reach our targets? What
weaknesses within the capacity of the or- is not sufficiently detailed), collect relevant
other cities have struggled with the same chal-
ganisation can be addressed in a periodically data about the area or theme that needs to be
lenges or had the same targets? How have they
updated action plan for capacity building. changed and then prepare a plan to manage
acted? What results have they achieved? And
the implementation of the pilot action.
most importantly – what can we learn from
Planning process

them? How can we make use of their experi- 3. Implement the pilot action - monitor the
ences in our city? progress carefully: did it have a desired effect
according to the baseline review? Take notes
of the side effects, synergies and unexpected
outcomes.


25

4. Evaluating the pilot action – What are the
underlying reasons for the outcomes?
5. Based on this learning experience, make a
decision on whether and how to upscale it to
the whole city.
Checklist
Sufficient human resources to work with SUTP issues exists
Sufficient know-how to work with SUTP issues exists
Opportunities to learn and to exchange experiences are offered to staff
Politicians are involved in capacity building on SUTP issues
There is a systematic approach to increase knowledge and experience on sustainable
transport issues within the organisation exists (e.g., by pilot projects that can be scaled up)


Promoting a new way of
thinking in Örebro

The common view on sustainable transport respect, the SUTP template has been a very
was not so strong in Örebro when the SUTP good tool.”
process started. To change the situation, the
Meanwhile, it is important to look around at
city has used different measures. A capac-
what others are doing beyond the municipal
ity-building assessment was carried out in a
borders. “It is very important to provide our
working group as part of the self-assessment,
decision-makers with very practical, good ex-
identifying the knowledge gaps among the
amples that have already been tested.”
employees. The finding was that the munici-
pality has a good knowledge of transport-re- International cooperation has become more
lated issues in detail but on various narrow important in this process. During the past
fields. few years, Örebro has focused on exchang-
26 ing experiences. Study visits are an important
“For many professionals a more holistic way
part of that work. “On a national level, we
of thinking can be a bit of a revolution”, says
are trying to build up an informal network for
Per Elvingson, who started as a process man-
sustainable transport among cities of our own
ager for sustainable transport soon after the
size in the region,” Elvingson says.
assessment.
To facilitate the implementation of Sustainable
Urban Transport, a special unit – also respon-
sible for raising the awareness among employ-
ees and politicians – has been set up. The unit
has, among other things, planned seminars
focusing on the reduced need for cars through
spatial planning.
In general, a new way of thinking is the key.
“It must be established, especially among key
persons, to make the process more powerful.
Planning process

An important part of capacity-building has
been getting all key staff to agree on a com-
mon analysis of the current situation. In this


2.7 The name of the game – Scope and definition

How
Why
The scope of the SUTP must be carefully con- key stakeholders with whom agreement will be
The scope and definition of the SUTP will sidered against existing plans, policies and strat- necessary to achieve many of the sustainability
vary depending on the local spatial, demo- egies to ensure that any duplication or overlap is objectives in the SUTP.
graphic, economic, transport, mobility and avoided. It may be appropriate to carry out a gap
Municipalities should consider the environ-
social characteristics. It will also vary with analysis between existing plans etc so that the
mental and other impacts of the transport that
the guidance given by each national govern- SUTP processes and principles can be adopted
arise from their procurement policies: deliveries;
ment, the competencies given to the mu- and integrated during the revision of existing
travel to work by pupils, patients, staff and poli-
nicipalities and the legal role of national plans and strategies. This gap analysis will advise
ticians; fleets, contract and subcontractors’ vehi-
transport agencies etc. The scope and defi- the changes that are required (new polices, new
cles, etc. As a major employer and the political
nition of the SUTP is a function of the local actions etc) and ensure a smooth transparent
leadership for the municipality, the municipality
decisions that are taken on future visions, transformation from the existing strategies to
as an organisation has an obligation to have a
objectives and targets. the SUTP. The relationships between the SUTP
comprehensive understanding of the impact of
and other corporate strategies and plans should
The scope of the SUTP is central to the its policies and practice on the transport of the
be explicitly recorded and agreed by the political
process that has to be put in place to deliver city.
the plan. Since the urban transport system
leadership. 27
does not end at the municipality borders it The SUTP is a strategic document with a long
is crucial to keep the whole functional ur- term perspective. It is also a working document,
ban area in mind when identifying both the where the continuing relevance of the policies
scope and definition of the SUTP. Clearly and the successes of actions is monitored and
defined geographical, organisational and evaluated -through annual or biannual reports.
technical boundaries to the SUTP are re- The work with SUTP is a dynamic process grad-
quired if it is to be effective. ually developing a sustainable transport system
over time; it is not a static master plan.
The scope of the SUTP must include consid-
eration of the transport movements going into
and out of the administrative boundary of the
municipality. The geographical boundary of
the SUTP should include the ‘functional urban
area’ so that commuting and other transport
flows travelling into and out of the urban area
are included in the SUTP. Consequently an
SUTP can only be prepared with the active par-
ticipation of the neighbouring municipalities,
regional bodies and national bodies. These are


There is also an obligation to manage the sig-
nificant aspects. Environmental Management
Systems (EMS), e.g., ISO14001 or Eco Mana-
gement and Audit Scheme (EMAS), provide a
tool for organisations to understand and man-
age the significant direct and indirect environ-
mental aspects of their activities and polices. The
benefits of using an EMS should be explored as
part of their SUTP management system.
Those cities that have overall sustainable de-
velopment strategy with a long-term perspec-
tive can embed the SUTP within this strategy.
In such cases, SUTP can be integrated into a
city’s overall management system such as the
Integrated Management System (as devel-
28 oped in Managing Urban Europe-25 project,
www.mue25.net) or Environmental Manage-
ment System (such as EMAS, ISO14001,
ecoBUDGET© or similar).

Checklist
The area that the SUTP covers is clearly defined
The scope of the SUTP is clearly defined
Topics and development areas for the SUTP are clearly defined
Planning process

Other policies and plans that are part of or are linked with the SUTP are transparent


Similar challenges, different scale 29

The small resort city of Pärnu initiated their As a result of the process, not only the scope and Pärnu has taken the most important first steps
SUTP process from scratch in 2006. “Pärnu’s definition of Pärnu SUTP has been set but also to get started with the development of a sus-
challenge has been to define and scope the a common vision for the whole functional city tainable urban transport. It has been possible
concept of SUTP to meet the needs of a region has been derived. “Making the quality of by agreeing on the SUTP scope and defini-
small town that has some of the same chal- urban environment and living better is the key tion in cooperation with the cross-sectoral
lenges as bigger cities but on a different scale”, for Pärnu in the future”, Kukk says. stakeholders and together with a transnational
says Grete Kukk, Senior Specialist for Urban experience exchange. Although there is still a
The SUTP scope and definition are set to the
Development in Pärnu. long way to go, the most important thing is
same targets. Therefore, the scope is to diminish
to get started.
Transnational cooperation on SUTP develop- the use of cars by developing a fair, accessible
ment has made the city realize the need for and attractive public transport system, by de-
a cross-sectoral approach in transport plan- veloping concrete bicycle policy for the city and
ning, especially the need to integrate land-use by handling the seasonal transport problems ac-
and transport planning. On the local level, a companied by tourists.
number of specialists and stakeholders from
various fields have been involved in the coop-
eration to make the definition and scope for
the Pärnu SUTP.


2.8 Starting position – Baseline review

Why
To be able to reach your goals, you first
need to know your starting position. A
starting point for successful SUTP work is a
baseline review, an honest description of the
city’s current transport situation. A baseline
review will give the city a clear picture of
the current transport situation and how
sustainable it is. It will provide a review of
effectiveness of existing processes to man-
age the transport; it will identify the drivers
that influence traffic development and the
impacts of traffic. A baseline review is the
starting point for the SUTP process from
30 which it is possible to move to the target- How
setting, action plan and monitoring, etc. The baseline review needs to be based on exist- The basic self-assessment for making the base-
ing data, and as all cities already have some data line review has four elements;
sets this activity can be carried out quickly and 1. Municipality profile
early. It is important to understand the different
functions and characteristics of data sets, how 2. Drivers
particular data sets are used to measure pres- 3. Impacts
sures/drivers; the state of the mobility/transport: 4. SUTP benchmark (plans, policies and
how some data sets are used to deduce trends actions)
and are used for modelling and forecasting.
Completing a baseline review requires the nec-
essary resources to be in place that allow the data The baseline review identifies successes and the
sets to be collated, reviewed and decisions to be potential for improvement in the SUT planning
taken on how they are used to inform policy se- process and transport system. It also helps the
lection/refinement and adoption. The selection city to identify the ‘drivers’ and ‘impacts’ of the
of data sets needs to be based on criteria that mobility and transport system and its develop-
are agreed on with stakeholders, who are then ment. The baseline review identifies those geo-
Planning process

actively involved in contributing data. graphical areas and transport modes where tar-
gets for sustainable urban transport should be
agreed. It also sets the baseline for continuous


monitoring of the city’s urban transport with scription is contrast against the ‘ideal’ character-
clear indicators and targets. The baseline review istics of the SUTP benchmark.
can be carried out internally within the city by
Through the internal self-assessment process, a
self-assessment process, but combining the self-
city will complete an initial analysis of the gap
assessment with external peer review can add
between its existing plans and policies and the
additional value to the process. The baseline re-
SUTP benchmark. To continue the self-assess-
view allows actions to be prioritised and to then
ment process with an external peer review will
monitor the effects on relevant indicators.
enable the city to have more revealing and valu-
The most demanding element is to compare the able gap analysis of their performance and the
present situation with the one described in the benchmark.
benchmark. The purpose is to describe the exist-
ing collected plans, strategies, actions, and tar-
gets of the city and the gap between them and
the SUTP benchmark. The description in the
benchmark is called a ‘gap analyses’. It explains
the differences between the current practise in 31
the city and the SUTP benchmark. The bench-
mark describes the characteristics that should be
evident within a SUTP. It is an ideal that the
cities are moving towards and can compare their
performance with. It is important to recognise
the benchmark as aspirational, representing an
entirely new way of thinking and working to ad-
dress sustainable urban transport. There are few
municipalities in Europe that can evidence all
the characteristics within the benchmark.
The first part of the benchmark invites the city
to describe the processes that have been used in
preparing their plans, strategies, actions, and tar-
gets. This description is made against the ‘ideal’
characteristics of the benchmark for preparing
SUT planning.
The second part of this benchmark invites the
city to describe the cumulative content of their
plans, strategies, actions, and targets. This de-


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Guide to Sustainable Urban Transport

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