Call name: 2018-2020 Mobility for Growth | Call ID: H2020-MG-2018-2019-2020
Specific Challenge:
The proposed ERA-NET Cofund action addresses specific challenges of sustainable urban accessibility and connectivity. Sustainable urban accessibility and connectivity is defined as the ease with which activities and opportunities may be reached in an urban transport system, with lower negative environmental impacts. Network connectivity reflects the directness of routes, using different modes to travel between points. It applies both for passenger and freight transport.
Providing accessibility and connectivity can boost economic and societal development, which is supported by much of the EU, national, regional and local transport policy (infrastructure investments, providing public transport).
Despite the high transport network densities in urban areas, there are still accessibility and connectivity challenges, sometimes specifically for various socio-economic groups. Some forms of mobility (especially road-based) raise issues with respect to local environment and space utilisation, encouraging policies aiming to reduce car-use but possibly affecting mobility for specific user groups. The interaction is complex and not always well understood.
Scope:
The projects funded by the ERA-NET Cofund action especially address the potential impact and possibilities for deployment of new mobility services and initiatives by analysing behavioural responses and estimating effects on the various aspects of sustainability (i.e. the environment, economic development and people’s well-being), for both passenger and freight transport.
Proposals should pool the necessary financial resources from the participating national (or regional) research programs with a view to implementing a joint call for proposals resulting in grants to third parties with EU co-funding in this area.
Participation of legal entities from third countries, and/or regions, including those not automatically eligible for funding in accordance with General Annex A is encouraged in the joint call as well as in other joint activities including additional joint calls without EU co-funding. Participants from countries not listed in General Annex A are eligible for EU funding under this topic and may request a Union contribution (on the basis of the ERA-NET unit cost) only for the coordination costs of additional activities.
The aim of this ERA-NET Cofund is to launch a joint research and innovation call for proposals. The funded proposals should specifically address the interaction between socio-economic development and accessibility and connectivity with regards to any of the following topics and combinations of these topics:
- Main reasons and drivers behind mobility behaviour (i.e. responses to new technologies and policies), taking into account various types of actors, and the intricate behavioural interactions;
- Potential solutions (technological, social, economic, etc.) to increase accessibility and connectivity in low density areas and for disadvantaged groups in urban areas;
- Potential variables supporting a shift towards more sustainable mobility behaviour to more sustainable modes (particularly ‘soft’/‘slow’/‘active’ modes) and alternatives for personal mobility.
- Possible behavioural rebound and compensational effects should be taken into account;
- Possible contribution of improving accessibility and connectivity to socio-economic development in urban areas that are typically defined by their spatial concentration and proximity.
- Assessment of the most effective strategies for improving connectivity, intermodality and systems integration in urban areas.
- Assessment of how innovative mobility concepts and services developments could benefit or affect specific groups in urban areas, and possible consequences for them.