The II Forum "Promoting a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan in Havana" brought together key actors in mobility and transport in the Cuban capital.
14 October 2021, Havana, Cuba. - Generating participatory spaces that involve actors from different sectors is vital in identifying the challenges and problems to be solved in order to direct actions towards the transformation of our cities and our planet. One of the potentials of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) of Havana is the participatory programme that has been designed since its inception so far.
In April 2021, Forum I served as a kick-off and presentation of this EUROCLIMA+ project to national and provincial authorities in Cuba. From 7 to 10 September, Forum II "Promoting a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan in Havana" was held, in which a new central point of participation was held with the presence of the main decision-makers, public officials, representatives and actors of the main entities related to transport and mobility, both in the city and in the country.
This second forum was an opportunity to present the results of the diagnosis and evaluation of the transport sector and the dynamics of mobility in the Cuban capital. The event consisted of a participatory forum, two workshops and three training sessions. It was attended by around 30 local and national authorities, as well as the European authorities involved in the project: the French embassy, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union.
"International cooperation, in particular European cooperation, is already getting involved through this project, which is linked to future investments. It is a project of analysis, studies and exchanges between countries to contribute ideas for a more ecological, more humane and more efficient transport", commented Juan Garay, Head of Cooperation of the European Union in Cuba.
Havana's SUMP includes a pilot project for investments in the "Galiano" commercial axis and in the "El Curita" park. It is being developed by the General Directorate of Provincial Transport of Havana (DGTPH), with the support of AFD in the framework of EUROCLIMA+, with a global amount of 500,000 euros provided by the European Union.
This initiative will promote sustainable, accessible and safe mobility that will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution, while generating circulation areas for pedestrians and cyclists. It also supports the State Plan to Combat Climate Change, known as "Tarea Vida", and the goals set by Cuba in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
Within the framework of the forum, actions of the Mobility Project in the 10 October Corridor, financed by the European Union through the LAIF programme, implemented by the French Development Agency (AFD), were also carried out with the General Directorate of Provincial Transport of Havana (DGTPH).
Day 1 – Diagnosis of Mobility in Havana
The activities kicked off with Forum II, a new focal point of participation in which the results of the Mobility Diagnosis were presented and the basis of the Vision and Strategic Objectives for the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) of Havana were set forth, allowing for a better understanding of the next steps and phases of work. The opening ceremony was attended by around 80 people.
In addition to the data, counts and surveys already carried out previously, the ability to bring together different mobility actors in Havana adds value through the different dynamics, debates and socialisation processes carried out in this second forum.
Some of the main findings of the diagnosis were the following:
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Weaknesses
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Strengths
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Threats
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Opportunities
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The forum was followed by a workshop on "Mobility and gender", in which they worked on the differences in the gender perspective within urban mobility and the particular needs to be addressed and resolved. In the workshop, working groups were set up to create solutions to different issues, such as urban design, public transport and personal mobility. These were discussed to be prioritised and included in the SUMP.
Day 2 – Solving challenges through mobility measures
On the second day of the event, training was given to the public sector linked to the project on the topics: "Accessibility", "Mobility and gender", "How to make a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan", "Pedestrian design" and "A look at best practices in sustainable urban mobility in Latin America".
This series of training events allows deepening the knowledge and capacities of the technical specialists of Cuban entities related to transport and mobility.
This was followed by the workshop "Diagnosis of Mobility" in which the conclusions obtained from the diagnosis of mobility in Havana were presented. Subsequently, an Ideas Laboratory was held in which, through group discussions, proposals for solutions and concrete measures were identified in response to the shortcomings, weaknesses and problems detected.
Day 3 – Strengthening technical capacities
On the third day of Forum II "Promoting a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan in Havana" a second training session was held covering the topics "Development of customer-centred public transport: Mobility on demand", "Mobility plans for companies", "Logistics and Intermodal Transport", "Urban distribution of goods. The Last Mile" and "Big Data in Mobility".
This series of training events included the generation of spaces for discussion, which enhance the knowledge and attributions of the attendees, sharing the material, questions and debates.
Day 4 – The city we want to achieve
The last day of the event focused on a third training session with the following topics: "Introduction to Low Emission Zones", "Low Emission Zones as a tool for mobility transformation. Methodology", "Electric Mobility", "Management and Communication", "Effect of COVID-19 ", and "Mobility Management in Crises and Emergencies".
The exchange of networks between teachers and participants made it possible to highlight and show key aspects in the process of implementing sustainable mobility measures. This provided the participants with theoretical knowledge and real case studies as examples that will allow them to develop concrete measures to move towards sustainable urban mobility in Havana.
The forum was closed by Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, Cuban Minister of Transport, and Leandro Méndez Peña, who highlighted the importance that the Cuban government attaches to the integrated conception of mobility.
“Several researchers have participated, not only from Cuba but also from other parts of the world, with the common goal of projecting a different city. Mobility defines much of the power and benefits that a city can achieve, not only in terms of the mobility of its population, but also in terms of freight transport," concluded Leandro Méndez Peña.
About EUROCLIMA+
The implementation of EUROCLIMA+, funded by the European Union, and co-financed by the German federal government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the governments of France and Spain through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, is carried out according to the "Spirit of Team Europe" under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), and the UN Environment Programme.
For more information:
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