MODERN Political Meeting in Vitoria Gasteiz: New Mobility Plans for the Citizens
On 22 September a roundtable with political representatives of European cities involved in the MODERN project and European experts in sustainable mobility was held in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The event was held in the framework of the European Week of Sustainable Mobility, coinciding with the city without my car day.
The meeting started with a welcome by the Mayor of Vitoria Gasteiz, Mr. Patxi Lazcoz and an introduction on the CIVITAS Programme and Sustainable Mobility in Europe by Mr. Gabriel Vladut, MODERN project coordinator. Subsequently Mr. Salvador Rueda, Director of the Agencia de Ecologia Urbana de Barcelona and scientific representative of Vitoria-Gasteiz, illustrated the new Public Space and Sustainable Mobility Plan in the city of Vitoria Gasteiz.He then moderated a roundtable composed of political and scientific representatives of the cities of the MODERN Consortium on the theme of Sustainable Mobility. Mr. Joao Rebelo, Coimbra City Deputy Mayor, Mr. Joaquín Esteban, Vitoria-Gasteiz Mobility Councillor. Mr. Aldo Molinari, scientific representative of the City of Brescia and Mr. Gabriel Vladut, MODERN project coordinator particpated in the roundtable. All the participants agreed on the importance of a long term consensus on the project and the necessity to engage with the citizens to facilitate a process of change in the perception of mobility. As Mr Joao Rebelo underlined, the new mobility plans in the cities of the MODERN Consortium not only aim to convert the mobility plans to a more sustainable model, but to return the public spaces to the citizens, often considered as pedestrians alone. The audience was made up of around 50 MODERN partners and guests from the municipality, county and Basque Government, University and public and private stakeholders related to mobility. A press conference followed the roundtable.
