Good Practice Webinar: 'Enhancing rural mobility through local action'

• Exchange and learn from local experiences and initiatives that enhance rural mobility and contribute to the social, economic and environment development of local communities; 
• Build the capacity of participants to promote rural mobility through anticipating, planning and delivering effective, high-quality projects responding to rural needs;
• Encourage and mobilise the Rural Pact Community and European Rural Mobility Network to undertake actions linked to addressing mobility issues in their specific contexts.

The webinar was targeted at project implementers and developers of mobility initiatives in rural areas, including potential project holders in local communities, regional and national private and public actors.

Background 

Improving mobility is among the most pressing needs in rural, remote and peri-urban areas to foster inclusive economic development, improve social equity and tackle climate change. Limited transport options in these areas hinder access to basic services, jobs, health services and social activities, impacting population density and the cost of public transport. 

The report on the implementation of the EU’s rural vision published on 27 March 2024 highlights that the New EU Urban Mobility Framework will include specific actions to better integrate the urban, peri-urban and rural linkages. This will be done through further development of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), where dedicated attention will go to better support connectivity between rural, peri-urban areas and metropolitan/urban areas.

Additionally, the Barcelona Declaration signed under the Spanish Presidency of Council of the European Union constitutes a strong commitment to accessible, affordable, and equitable mobility to promote social and territorial cohesion.

Maintaining or improving public transport services and connections is essential to achieve the aim of the long-term vision for EU’s rural areas for connected rural areas. The related Rural Action Plan supports the flagship initiative SMARTA-NET - coordinated by the European Commission’s DG MOVE, building on the SMARTA 1 and 2 projects to enhance sustainable and resilient mobility connections. 

The Rural Pact Support office recently launched a new online Community Group on Rural Mobility to bring together stakeholders to connect with peers, exchange, share information on this topic.

Relevant resources

• Join the Rural Pact Community Group on Rural Mobility
• Smart Villages and rural mobility
• SMARTA 1 & 2 projects
• SMARTA-NET

Video recordings

• Welcome to the webinar
• EU initiatives to foster support for rural mobility
• Learning from inspirational projects and practices
• Enabling local communities to take action to enhance rural mobility: panel discussion
• Enhanced mobility for developing key economic sectors, discussion group 1
• Enhanced mobility for strengthening access to basic services, discussion group 2
• Enhanced mobility for territorial and social cohesion, discussion group 3
• Reporting back from discussion groups and closing remarks