The first meeting of the Urban
Agenda, an initiative created for more efficient and sustainable communication
under the “EU Support for promoting Sustainable Urban Mobility in Turkish
Cities Project (SUMP Türkiye)”, which is being implemented under the Sectoral
Operational Programme for Transport, was held online on February 9, 2024.
Representatives of the municipalities, currently has an on-going SUMP process,
attended the meeting.
The Key Expert for Communication
Activities of SUMP Türkiye Project and moderator of the meeting, Ms. Ayşe Sarp
Gür, shared brief information about the SUMP Türkiye Project, and summarized
the communication activities and approach of the Project. She mentioned the
importance of open communication, stakeholder engagement and encouraging
citizens to sustainable transport.
Ms. Gülin Rahvancı, Communication
Specialist working on the Urban Agenda Project, made a presentation on the
project and its planned timeline. While announcing the events organised by the
municipalities with SMS marketing, she explained the functioning of the Urban
Agenda, which is based on rewards that encourage the use of sustainable
transport methods. She introduced the participants to various SMS examples,
directions and hashtags that should be used for co-operation purposes.
Communication and Transport
Experts from Kocaeli, Gaziantep, İstanbul, Konya, Ankara and Eskişehir
Metropolitan Municipalities shared their ideas on the project and the studies
carried out by their municipalities that may be relevant. The importance of
sustainable transport and stakeholder engagement was discussed. The need for
open communication was emphasised and it was stressed that the language to be
used should be understandable and interesting for citizens.
The importance of improving
coordination and support in the continuation of co-operation activities was
mentioned. The importance of localising the joint work to be carried out by the
municipalities in the most appropriate way for their citizens and their expectations
was emphasised. It was decided to prepare and distribute the logo of the SUMP Türkiye
Volunteers, which is carried out simultaneously, separately on behalf
of the municipalities that are conducting, have conducted or will conduct SUMP,
in order to be used by the municipalities in the relevant communication
activities and visibility materials.
Göktuğ Kara (PhD), Team
Coordinator Transport Policy and Climate Change of the Delegation of the
European Union to Türkiye, emphasised the importance of strategic communication
and the need for permanent solutions.