Mobility Opportunities Valuable to Everybody (MOVE)

Partner: HZ University of Applied Sciences (NL), University of Ghent (BE), City of Middelburg (NL), Intergemeentelijke vereniging voor ontwikkeling van het GEwest Mechelen en Omgeving - IGEMO (BE), Gate21 (DK), The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (UK), NHS Highland (UK), Advier (NL), County of Northeim (DE), Public Transport Authority Organisation South Lower Saxony - ZVSN (DE)

Project duration: 09/2018 - 08/2021

Funding: Co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union

Methods: Qualitative Methods, Co-Creation, Design Science

Summary:
(Semi)-rural areas are often excluded from new or green mobility initiatives like car and bike sharing, Uber and large scale 0-emissions transport. Long distances and too few users make these too costly or simply not feasible, so many people use cars. Those who cannot afford/use cars are less likely to get a job or will leave to go to cities. This results in a vicious circle making these areas less attractive for business, or partnerships with big companies from the transport sector. Local authorities in turn often struggle in finding the capacity in staff and financing for green and flexible solutions, which remain heavily subsidised and are not always efficient: an empty electric bus does not reduce overall emissions, and the users’ needs are still not answered.

To solve these issues MOVE will take on a new approach in developing innovative and sustainable mobility initiatives through co-creation, bringing together local authorities, knowledge centres, local economic players and (temporary) inhabitants. MOVE will use local specificities to create practical solutions in 4 pilots based on unlikely combinations, with tangible business plans, to be implemented, tested and evaluated. This aims at increasing accessibility, reducing individual cars use, emissions and costs. For instance, the town of Northeim is piloting an eco-friendly e-car sharing system, while other initiatives include the launch of flexible bus service operations or sustainable tourist transportation. MOVE will share its best practices in sustainable mobility and governance to increase take-up in other regions and support the greening of the transport sector and stimulate rural areas in the NSR as a whole.