New Mobility:European Cities are trying to reinvent themselves

After decades in which transport authorities focused on deploying public transport services as an alternative to the development of the "all-car" model, a few years ago mobility entered the era of the multitude. On the one hand, the possibilities for getting around are exponential. On the other, digital tools are multiplying solutions tenfold, between multi- and intermodality. It's difficult to describe this new paradigm, so rich, rapid and sometimes surprising is it. We need only look at a number of European examples to gain a better understanding of the different forms it can take.

In addition to the impressive development of its transport services, the British capital, London, is banking on digital technology to facilitate access to its many mobility solutions. This involves passenger information on the one hand, and payment on the other. The Catalan capital, Barcelona, is trying to capitalize on its formidable urban planning, experimenting with new ways of producing the city, and promoting soft mobility (pedestrians, bicycles, etc.) and its bus network. In Oslo, it's a systemic revolution that's getting underway, following the dynamic implemented throughout Norway. While urban planning is a cornerstone of the system, the development of electric mobility is also a major lever for change. Finally, in the Basque Country, the authorities are attempting to build a Europe without borders by forging links between New Aquitaine and Euskadi. The development of services and passenger information are two essential pillars of this initiative.

These European cities and regions are fundamentally different. London is a liberal, growth-hungry megalopolis. Barcelona is a tourist destination bathed in Mediterranean sunshine. Oslo is a Nordic capital, intelligent, coherent and serious. The Basque Country is a complex, historic and frontier territory. Nevertheless, they all have one thing in common: a desire to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike, notably through innovative mobility solutions.