Within the scope of the Sustainable
Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) for Trabzon, implemented under the Transport
Sectoral Operational Programme (USOP) managed by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
of the Republic of Türkiye within the framework of Türkiye–EU financial
cooperation, the ‘International Sustainable Urban Mobility Conference’ was held
on 4–5 November 2025, and the ‘Project Closing Event’ was held on 6 November
2025.
The three-day event brought together
more than 600 participants, including representatives from public institutions,
municipalities, national and international experts, academics, civil society
organizations, private sector representatives, and project stakeholders.
On the first
day of the conference, Trabzon Metropolitan Mayor Ahmet Metin Genç, Head of
Financial Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Türkiye Maria Luisa Wyganowski,
Director General for EU Affairs and Foreign Relations at the Ministry of
Transport and Infrastructure Burak Aykan, Trabzon Governor Aziz Yıldırım, and
Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu. These
speeches highlighted the steps taken by Trabzon towards sustainable urban
mobility goals, its approach in line with national policies, and the work
carried out in cooperation with the European Union.
This was
followed by a promotional video summarising the 29-month implementation period
of the project. Subsequently, SUMP for Trabzon Project Team Leader Jose Laffond
Yges delivered a presentation on the processes and project outcomes targeting
sustainability, accessibility, and environmentally friendly solutions in
Trabzon's transport infrastructure.
The first day
of the conference continued with three thematic panels. The first panel,
entitled ‘Mobility with Carbon-Neutral and Digital Solutions,’ was moderated by
Associate Professor Metin Mutlu Aydın from Ondokuz Mayıs University. The panel
discussed smart transport system applications for sustainable mobility, the integration
of digitalisation into transport, and the role of innovative technologies in
achieving carbon-neutral city goals. The second panel, moderated by Prof. Dr.
Muhammet Vefa Akpınar from KTÜ Faculty of Engineering, focused on ‘Financing
Models for Implementing Municipal Urban Mobility Plans.’ The session addressed
financing sources for sustainable transport projects, investment planning, and
public-private partnership models. The final session of the day, moderated by
Mustafa Yaylalı, Advisor to the Mayor of Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality, was
a panel titled ‘The Impact of Developments in Transport Corridors on Urban
Mobility,’ which assessed the impact of national-scale transport corridors on
Trabzon's urban transport system and their contribution to the city's
development.
The second day
of the conference continued with four thematic panels focusing on sustainable
transport planning, implementation experiences, and cities' long-term transport
visions. The first panel, titled ‘Sustainable Transport Approach in Urban
Transport Planning,’ was moderated by Jose Laffond Yges. The panel discussed
the evaluation of sustainable urban mobility plans by central authorities from
the perspective of the European Union. Discussions highlighted the
compatibility of SKUP applications with European standards, the importance of
an integrated approach in planning processes, and the comparison of examples
from Turkey with good practices in Europe.
The second
panel, entitled ‘Experiences in Sustainable Mobility Applications,’ was
moderated by Project Coordinator Samet Ali Yıldız. In this session, SUMP
success stories and field applications from different cities were shared;
experts exchanged views on adapting sustainable transport solutions to the
local context and disseminating good examples.
The third
panel, titled ‘Transport Management in Metropolitan Cities and the SUMP
Vision,’ was moderated by Fatih Bayraktar, Head of the Transport Department of
Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality. During the panel, transport managers from
metropolitan municipalities that have completed the SUMP process shared their
experiences; transport management at the city level, data-driven
decision-making mechanisms, and institutional approaches to the feasibility of
plans were discussed.
The final
panel of the day, entitled ‘Large-Scale Plans and Trabzon's Future under SUMP
Guidance,’ was moderated by Prof. Dr. Cenap Sancar, Dean of the Faculty of
Architecture at Karadeniz Technical University. During the session, Trabzon's
sustainable transport vision and urban planning policies evaluated within the
framework of SUMP strategies were discussed from academic and professional
perspectives.
The third day
of the event began with the Closing Ceremony. In speeches delivered by Adem
Koç, Head of Department for European Union Investments at the Ministry of
Transport and Infrastructure, and Gürkan Üçüncü, Secretary General of Trabzon
Metropolitan Municipality, it was emphasised that the successful completion of
the SUMP for Trabzon Project was a strategic turning point for the city, and
all participants who contributed to the preparation of the project were
thanked.
This was
followed by a panel discussion entitled ‘Discussion of Trabzon for Trabzon with
Stakeholder Participation,’ moderated by Dr Murat Çağatay, SUMP for Trabzon
Communications Specialist, with the participation of Project Coordinator Samet
Ali Yıldız representing the beneficiary, Local Project Coordinator Yücel Erdem
Dişli from the consortium, and Project Team Leader Jose Laffond Yges. entitled
‘Discussion of SUMP for Trabzon with Stakeholder Participation’. At the end of
the panel, the project's outputs were evaluated from the perspective of city
residents; the feasibility of the plan, the contributions of stakeholder
participation to the process, and the experiences gained during the project
were shared.
The closing
session concluded with a strong message of shared commitment and cooperation
regarding the future of Trabzon's sustainable transport vision. Event provided
an important platform for sharing knowledge and experience in the field of
sustainable urban mobility, showcasing best practices, and fostering new
partnerships and collaborations.