Within
the framework of the SUMP Türkiye Project, implemented under the Sectoral
Operational Programme for Transport (USOP) as part of the Türkiye-EU financial
cooperation managed by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, continued its intensive efforts as the year draws to a close. The
activities carried out in the final two months of 2024 have made significant
contributions to all the stakeholders.
1. The 5th Physical Training on "Sustainable
Urban Mobility Planning and Active Mobility" was held on 19–20 November 2024 in Ankara with broad participation from
municipalities and urban mobility experts across Türkiye. The first day
featured a presentation by Adrian Puentes, co-founder of BD+P, discussing the
health, environmental, and socio-economic benefits of walkable cities. Key
topics included designing safe pedestrian pathways, integrating public
transport, and promoting mixed land use. Participants engaged in interactive
sessions to adapt these approaches to their cities. The second day focused on
the impact of cycling infrastructure on environmental sustainability and urban
resilience, with best practices shared from Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Bogotá.
2. On 27 November 2024, the 25th Online
Training titled "Integrated
Public Transport Planning: Insights from Europe and Beyond" brought together 390 participants, including municipalities, academics,
civil society representatives, and transport experts. The training explored
integrated public transport planning from three perspectives:
city/neighbourhood, medium-scale, and user-level integration. Topics such as
inclusive mobility hubs, zero-emission transport networks, and public transport
planning from a social equity perspective were addressed. International
examples from Prague, London, Valencia, and Medellín enriched the discussions,
providing an interactive learning experience.
3. The 4th meeting of the Steering
Committee for the SUMP Türkiye Project was held on 4
December 2024 at the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT) headquarters. The
meeting was attended by Şengül Altan Arslan (PhD), Deputy Secretary General of
UMT, Tijen İğci (PhD), Head of the Department for EU Investments of the
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, and Göktuğ Kara (PhD), Team Leader
for Transport Policy and Climate Change at the EU Delegation to Türkiye, along
with representatives from stakeholder organisations and the SUMP Türkiye team.
Project Director Wolfgang Backhaus (PhD) presented updates on the European
Commission’s ELTIS guidance revisions and recent developments in the SUMP
field. Volkan Recai Çetin (PhD), Team Leader of SUMP Türkiye, provided insights
into the project’s activities and progress. He highlighted that the White
Policy Paper is designed as a guide to support national-level applications. He
noted that the training programmes have been strengthened with theoretical
knowledge, best practice examples, and practical components. Key Expert-2 Ayşe
Sarp Gür discussed the impact of communication activities, the outreach success
of social media campaigns, and the potential of European Mobility Week events
to promote sustainable transportation habits. Following the administrative and
financial evaluations presented by Çetin (PhD), participants expressed their
satisfaction with the project’s progress and reaffirmed their commitment to
ensuring a transparent process towards achieving the objectives.
4. The 9th Task Force Meeting was held online on 19 December 2024. The meeting was attended by
EU Delegation, TBB, Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Directorate for EU Affairs, representatives of
İLBANK, team leader and senior experts of SUMP Türkiye. The meeting discussed
topics such as funding opportunities and the applicability and sustainability
of financial mechanisms. Additionally, an exchange of ideas took place on how
local administrations can manage financing sources for their project and the
integration of public transportation systems. Challenges in financing municipal
projects and potential solutions were also addressed. It was agreed to continue
to hold monthly Task Force Meetings from January 2025 onwards to monitor the
development of the White Policy Book and provide direct feedback on key issues.
5. The 26th SUMP
Türkiye Online Training held on 25 December 2024
with the topic “Public Transport
Planning: Modes, Demand Forecasting, Funding, and Stakeholder Engagement" emphasised the strategic importance of stakeholder and citizen
participation in transport planning. Also, topics such as participation
methods, communication strategies and feedback management were discussed in
detail. Information was provided on modelling future passenger demand, and
topics such as data-driven analytical approaches, trend analysis, and
model-based methods were addressed. In the afternoon sessions, the training
provided a multidisciplinary perspective with contributions from speakers from
various fields of expertise, focusing on the physical and operational characteristics
of public transport modes, innovative approaches to route design, and the
diversity of financing mechanisms.
The activities conducted in November and December have significantly
enhanced the impact of the SUMP Türkiye Project, equipping local governments
and stakeholders with stronger capabilities in sustainable urban mobility. In
the coming year, our project will remain committed to advancing sustainable
urban mobility, making transport systems more accessible and resilient, and
taking stronger steps with the stakeholders towards a sustainable future.