The event brought together representatives of the 9 municipalities of the metropolis with specialists under the framework of EUROCLIMA+.
Santos, Brazil, 31 March 2022 - In the framework of the EUROCLIMA+ programme and with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD), the metropolitan region of Baixada Santista, under the leadership of the Metropolitan Agency of Baixada Santista (AGEM) - part of the Regional Development Secretariat of the State of São Paulo - held the 1st Metropolitan Mobility Forum for the region virtually on 20 January 2022.
The Forum aimed to bring together the most important actors in the region's transport sector to highlight the main challenges and strategic projects that are planned to be carried out. This process feeds into the Regional Sustainable Mobility and Logistics Plan of Baixada Santista (PRMSL-BS), an essential tool for coordinating actions that promote sustainable mobility and carbon reduction at the metropolitan region level.
“The project of the Plan has been discussed for a long time in thematic chambers of the region. A diagnosis is always very important and when we talk about making a regional plan, we are talking about cooperation between all the municipalities in the region. It is important that the 9 municipalities participate and the AGEM has the role of bringing these agents together", said Givanilse dos Santos, executive director of AGEM.
The Forum began with a presentation of the stages of development of the Plan, the main activities and channels for participation. Then, representatives of the nine municipalities that are part of the Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista presented their expectations about the Plan, the mobility problems they identified and suggestions for the Plan to respond to the needs of the entire region. In the afternoon, presentations were made about the EUROCLIMA+ Programme and the MobiliseYourCity alliance (https://www.mobiliseyourcity.net/) of which the State of SP is a member. A case study on the Sustainable Mobility Plan of the port region of Marseille, France was also presented.
Among the main issues discussed at the event, the results of the 16 focus groups developed in preparation for the event with different groups of citizens were presented. They highlighted the high level of inequality in the region, the negative impact of tourism on the commuting of local workers, the low use of technology in the service of mobility.
In environment related issues, on the one hand, the environmental richness of the region is highlighted, and on the other hand, the pollution of the port and the city of Cubatão and the negative impact of the highways. The lack of intermodality, the high use of vehicles, the high price of mobility, the poor level of public transport service and the lack of night service, the lack of cycling infrastructure and the lack of inter-municipal cycling connections.
The difficulty of pedestrian travel among vulnerable populations (elderly, women, disabled) was also highlighted and, while cycling is a widely used mode in the region, citizens believe that cycling is still not seen as a vehicle in planning processes, cycle infrastructures are not well maintained and there is no control.
For Solange Freitas, Undersecretary of Metropolitan Affairs of AGEM, "this regional plan represents the possibility of development of the Baixada Santista through mobility and the integration of all municipalities. At the end of the process of building the Plan, the cities must sign a pact, because not only do we have to prepare the document, it is important that the cities make this plan a reality. It is very important that we are here at this event discussing and listening to the whole of society, so that the Plan is made for everyone".
For her part, Elisa Xavier, Project Manager for AFD, in her opening remarks commented that "it is hoped that after constructive discussions, local solutions will emerge for the construction of a much needed urban planning instrument for the region. We hope that through modern visions, environmentally positive decisions will be taken, such as the optimisation of circulation and the prioritisation of collective transport with clean technologies, that various modes such as cycling will be stimulated, that the streets will be safe and comfortable to stimulate walking and active movement of all citizens, and that all inhabitants of the municipalities will feel represented in its scale of action, enjoying mainly a universal right to come and go",
This Forum was attended by 138 participants from 18 cities in Brazil. 60% of the participants were male and 40% female. A full recording of the event can be accessed via this link.
More information at http://prmsl-bs.com.br/
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German federal government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation.
The Programme's mission is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, promoting mitigation, adaptation, resilience and climate investment. It is implemented 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), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) GmbH, and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
For more information:
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