A continued reliance on private cars for urban transportation has caused a spike in traffic, congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, as well as noise and air pollution in cities. As a result, there is a need to encourage more people to use sustainable modes of transportation. A major opportunity lies within untapped potentials in the various forms of active mobility, especially in connecting the city with public transport. However, street designs often do not prioritize safe and attractive mobility by bike, on foot, or by scooter. By designing streets that cater to the needs of active mobility, multimodality can be supported, and wider parts of the city can be accessed more safely and easily by many.

However, these street transformation projects often face resistance from local administrations, the population, and local businesses. A more sustainable urban mobility and accommodation situation can only be achieved if transformation projects receive acceptance and support at all levels. The data, knowledge, and processes needed to create widespread acceptance, as well as the right methods to effectively plan, engage and evaluate these and future transformations, are largely unknown.

The ACCTRA project acknowledges the potential of street transformations as a means of promoting sustainable urban mobility. Two experiments will be conducted in Austria and Turkey, implemented and evaluated in a transnational approach. The project will feature exclusive micromobility lanes in Istanbul and “Open Streets” experiments in Klagenfurt, supported by an internationally-operated Swedish partner.

Thus, the aim of the ACCTRA project is to develop locally applicable guidelines that enable municipalities across Europe to make street transformations more accepted and impactful with an adaption in planning and communications processes.