TRIMIS team interviewing Prof. Andree Woodcock

The TRIMIS team interviewed Professor Andree Woodcock, Project Manager of the Civitas SUITS project.

What is the objective of SUITS – Supporting Urban Integrated Transport Systems project?

SUITS is a research and innovation project. It adopts a sociotechnical approach to developing capacity in small-and medium-sized local authorities. It will share best practice from larger and medium sized authorities, providing tools and methods which will help small-and medium-sized cities increase their capacity to plan, finance and implement sustainable transport measures and create new business opportunities. Its aim is to transform transport departments into resilient, learning organisations able to meet future challenges and lead sustainable transport innovation in their cities.

Which organisations are participating in the SUITS project?

A total of 22 organisations are participating in SUITS: 1 from Belgium (Signosis SPRL), 2 from Germany (Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, Wuppertal Institut Fur Klima, Umwlt, Energie GMBH), 4 from Greece (Lever S A Development, Dimos Kalamarias, F. K. Liotopoulos Kai Sia EE, Makios S) 1 from Hungary (Logdril), 1 from Ireland (Intereactions Ltd), 4 from Italy (Commune di Torino, Eurokleis S. R. L, Politecnico di Torino, Roma Servizi per la Mobilita), 1 from Lithuania ( Smart Continent LT UAB), 1 from Portugal (VTM-Consultores), 2 from Romania (Integral Consulting R&D, Municipality of Alba Iulia), 2 from Spain (Instituto Technologico del Embalaje, Transporte Y Logistica, Fundacion de la Comunitat Valenciana para la Promocion Estrategica el Desarraollo Y La Innovacion Urbana) and 3 from the United Kingdom (Arcardis Ltd, Coventry City Council, Coventry University).

What are the key research activities of the SUITS project?

Research is centred around three main activities each looking at a different aspect of capacity building. We are using our 6 cities (Coventry, Rome, Alba Iulia, Torino, Valencia, Kalamaria), and 3 follower cities (Palanga, Stuttgart and Dachau) to test out our approaches, before releasing results in the final year of the project. Specifically, we are working on:

• Organizational change. Helping local authorities to work outside of silos and to be more innovative in terms of planning
• Training is being provide through 6 core modules. These contain generic and context specific information based on feedback from city partners, which addresses current gaps in training. The material has been designed specifically for small-and medium-sized cities. Areas covered are
  • implementing emerging transport technologies (ITS, Electric mobility, CAVs etc.)
  • introducing innovative transport schemes (MaaS, Uber, Business Models etc.)
  • implementing urban transport safety & security measures for all (passenger and freight vehicles etc.)
  • implementing urban freight transport measures (SULPs, Crowd shipping, cargo bikes etc.)
  • Data collection and analysis tools for integrated measures
  • Innovative Financing, procurement and business models
  • Use of real time and legacy data for integrated transport planning
• All materials are available from the project through webinars or training guides. In the coming months these will be integrated into a capacity building toolbox.

What is main contribution of SUITS to finance and investment of transport infrastructure?

The transformation of urban mobility systems causes upfront costs for the procurement of innovative products and services and the adaptation of existing infrastructure. While public budgets are limited, debt financing private investors often are reluctant to invest into sustainable transport projects. Thus, cities need to seek additional funding and financing options and to develop business models to attract private sector investments into the development of the urban transport system. The range of instruments includes the exploitation of local sources such as public transport fares, the introduction of road user charges and parking fees, the lease of advertising space in buses, or the use of value capture mechanisms. Additional external finance can be raised for example through issuing green bonds. Finally, a prudential engagement of the private sector in infrastructure development and services provision can reduce the burden on public budgets while enhancing service quality.

One of SUITS’ main objective is to contribute to training personnel in charge with project development, procurement and financing not necessarily in how to get out of present-day patterns, but by teaching them to think creatively, so that the products and services obtained as a result of public procurement may also fulfil the wider goals of sustainable transport (e.g. improved mobility, access and life quality). Three specialised guidelines will be produced in English and 6 local EU languages to provide the right tools to professionals in small-and medium-sized cites to develop and implement sustainable mobility

What do you hope the EU will learn from your project?

These are exciting times. Many issues need to be resolved before sustainable transport measures can have the desired transformational effect on cities. Transport departments, working in smaller local authorities need to be supported in various ways to provide the optimal, most inclusive transport solutions for their cities. It is not a case of one-size fits for especially with rapid technological innovation and new market entrants. The SUITS project has taken the approach that local authorities need to evolve, so that they can become more innovative, and can work across traditional boundaries to join up thinking and create benefits across different areas such as health, transport and energy. We are therefore working with our cities to see how this can be achieved.

Working on FP7 METPE, H2020CIVITAS SUITS and now H2020 TInnGO project has provided evidence for the need to make greater efforts to achieve gender and diversity mainstreaming in planning, operation and usage of transport. There is still a need for greater, broader and more meaningful consultation with transport users, especially those from ‘traditionally’ hard to reach groups. Transport inequalities are very real. Local Authorities are worried that future developments may increase this without careful planning and legislation. This can be reduced in a variety of ways, including consultation, codesign and Social Impact Assessment.

What is the objective of SUITS – Supporting Urban Integrated Transport Systems project?

SUITS is a research and innovation project. It adopts a sociotechnical approach to developing capacity in small-and medium-sized local authorities. It will share best practice from larger and medium sized authorities, providing tools and methods which will help small-and medium-sized cities increase their capacity to plan, finance and implement sustainable transport measures and create new business opportunities. Its aim is to transform transport departments into resilient, learning organisations able to meet future challenges and lead sustainable transport innovation in their cities.

Which organisations are participating in the SUITS project?

A total of 22 organisations are participating in SUITS: 1 from Belgium (Signosis SPRL), 2 from Germany (Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, Wuppertal Institut Fur Klima, Umwlt, Energie GMBH), 4 from Greece (Lever S A Development, Dimos Kalamarias, F. K. Liotopoulos Kai Sia EE, Makios S) 1 from Hungary (Logdril), 1 from Ireland (Intereactions Ltd), 4 from Italy (Commune di Torino, Eurokleis S. R. L, Politecnico di Torino, Roma Servizi per la Mobilita), 1 from Lithuania ( Smart Continent LT UAB), 1 from Portugal (VTM-Consultores), 2 from Romania (Integral Consulting R&D, Municipality of Alba Iulia), 2 from Spain (Instituto Technologico del Embalaje, Transporte Y Logistica, Fundacion de la Comunitat Valenciana para la Promocion Estrategica el Desarraollo Y La Innovacion Urbana) and 3 from the United Kingdom (Arcardis Ltd, Coventry City Council, Coventry University).

What are the key research activities of the SUITS project?

Research is centred around three main activities each looking at a different aspect of capacity building. We are using our 6 cities (Coventry, Rome, Alba Iulia, Torino, Valencia, Kalamaria), and 3 follower cities (Palanga, Stuttgart and Dachau) to test out our approaches, before releasing results in the final year of the project. Specifically, we are working on:

• Organizational change. Helping local authorities to work outside of silos and to be more innovative in terms of planning
• Training is being provide through 6 core modules. These contain generic and context specific information based on feedback from city partners, which addresses current gaps in training. The material has been designed specifically for small-and medium-sized cities. Areas covered are
  • implementing emerging transport technologies (ITS, Electric mobility, CAVs etc.)
  • introducing innovative transport schemes (MaaS, Uber, Business Models etc.)
  • implementing urban transport safety & security measures for all (passenger and freight vehicles etc.)
  • implementing urban freight transport measures (SULPs, Crowd shipping, cargo bikes etc.)
  • Data collection and analysis tools for integrated measures
  • Innovative Financing, procurement and business models
  • Use of real time and legacy data for integrated transport planning
• All materials are available from the project through webinars or training guides. In the coming months these will be integrated into a capacity building toolbox.

What is main contribution of SUITS to finance and investment of transport infrastructure?

The transformation of urban mobility systems causes upfront costs for the procurement of innovative products and services and the adaptation of existing infrastructure. While public budgets are limited, debt financing private investors often are reluctant to invest into sustainable transport projects. Thus, cities need to seek additional funding and financing options and to develop business models to attract private sector investments into the development of the urban transport system. The range of instruments includes the exploitation of local sources such as public transport fares, the introduction of road user charges and parking fees, the lease of advertising space in buses, or the use of value capture mechanisms. Additional external finance can be raised for example through issuing green bonds. Finally, a prudential engagement of the private sector in infrastructure development and services provision can reduce the burden on public budgets while enhancing service quality.

One of SUITS’ main objective is to contribute to training personnel in charge with project development, procurement and financing not necessarily in how to get out of present-day patterns, but by teaching them to think creatively, so that the products and services obtained as a result of public procurement may also fulfil the wider goals of sustainable transport (e.g. improved mobility, access and life quality). Three specialised guidelines will be produced in English and 6 local EU languages to provide the right tools to professionals in small-and medium-sized cites to develop and implement sustainable mobility

What do you hope the EU will learn from your project?

These are exciting times. Many issues need to be resolved before sustainable transport measures can have the desired transformational effect on cities. Transport departments, working in smaller local authorities need to be supported in various ways to provide the optimal, most inclusive transport solutions for their cities. It is not a case of one-size fits for especially with rapid technological innovation and new market entrants. The SUITS project has taken the approach that local authorities need to evolve, so that they can become more innovative, and can work across traditional boundaries to join up thinking and create benefits across different areas such as health, transport and energy. We are therefore working with our cities to see how this can be achieved.

Working on FP7 METPEX, H2020CIVITAS SUITS and now H2020 TInnGO project has provided evidence for the need to make greater efforts to achieve gender and diversity mainstreaming in planning, operation and usage of transport. There is still a need for greater, broader and more meaningful consultation with transport users, especially those from ‘traditionally’ hard to reach groups. Transport inequalities are very real. Local Authorities are worried that future developments may increase this without careful planning and legislation. This can be reduced in a variety of ways, including consultation, codesign and Social Impact Assessment.