Research projects

The revised TEN-T Regulation (2024/1679) is placing greater responsibility at the local level for improving mobility and sustainability in transport infrastructure. Across Europe, 431 cities (including 27 in North Rhine-Westphalia) and their functional urban areas (FUA) have been designated as 'urban nodes' to facilitate the integration of different passenger and freight transport modes and establish connections between long-distance and local transport within the Transeuropean Networks. These cities must draw up a 'Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan' (SUMP) by the end of 2027 and monitor its implementation. A SUMP is a strategic plan covering all aspects of mobility, aiming to meet the mobility needs of people and businesses in an urban region while improving quality of life. It is characterised by its process-oriented nature and participatory approach. In many cases, existing sustainable mobility concepts can be built upon to fulfil the SUMP requirement. On behalf of the Ministry for Nature Conservation, Environment and Transport (MUNV NRW), the ILS is currently conducting an investigation into the SUMPs in the 27 urban hubs. The aim is to provide a realistic picture of the current status and determine what support the cities need to develop their existing mobility concepts further to reach the 'SUMP level'. North Rhine-Westphalia has the highest density of urban nodes in Europe, resulting in their functional interdependencies often overlapping. The project will therefore also address this specific challenge of implementing the SUMP requirement in North Rhine-Westphalia. Based on the project results, the MUNV intends to set up support services tailored to the needs of the urban nodes.