As cities evolve into more connected and data-driven environments, mobility is shifting from vehicle-focused systems to solutions designed around people. Human-centric mobility places the needs, choices, and daily experiences of citizens at the heart of transport planning and services.
Rather than focusing solely on speed and efficiency, wise mobility systems aim to create seamless travel across modes, making it easier to move effortlessly between walking, cycling, public transport, and shared mobility. They promote accessibility and inclusion, ensuring safe and convenient mobility for everyone — regardless of age, income, or ability.
Human-centric mobility also supports sustainability and liveability by reducing emissions and reclaiming public space for people, not just traffic. Trust and transparency play a key role: citizens must understand how mobility data is collected, shared, and used, and feel confident that it serves the public good.
Finally, wise mobility reflects local culture and context. By moving away from one-size-fits-all solutions and embracing place-based approaches, cities can develop mobility strategies that truly resonate with their identity and social fabric.
This session explores how human-centric principles can help shape smarter, more liveable, and inclusive cities through mobility.
Keeping public mobility relevant in the 21st century is my personal mission. With an extensive background in public mobility, change management, AI and digitization for more than 25 years, I've worked with operators, authorities, infra managers and industry. I have an educational background in Artificial Intelligence, Innovation Management and Change Management.
As Head of Innovation at ICT Group InTraffic I have the privilege of working with some of the smartest people for many ambitious clients. Together we make people and technology work for the benefit of our diverse societies.
Willem-Frederik Metzelaar is Regional Director of Innovation Hub West at EIT Urban Mobility, covering the Netherlands, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Luxembourg. He works at the intersection of public policy, industry, investment and academia, helping cities translate ambition into implementable mobility transitions.
Over the past decade, Willem-Frederik has witnessed the evolution from the early “Smart City” narrative—often technology-driven and infrastructure-focused—towards a more systemic and human-centered approach. Today, he advocates for WISE Cities: cities that are Wellbeing-oriented, Inclusive, Sustainable, and Evidence-based in their economic development.
In his work with metropolitan regions such as Amsterdam, London and Dublin, he focuses on:
Linking infrastructure renewal to sustainable mobility transformation
Embedding Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) to protect vulnerable road users
Using data, digital twins and AI not as goals in themselves, but as tools for measurable societal impact
Connecting public budgets (“follow the money”) to innovation ecosystems and investment capital
Willem-Frederik argues that the Smart City era optimized systems; the WISE City era must optimize outcomes: fewer car movements, safer streets, healthier citizens, stronger local economies and climate resilience.
He brings a pragmatic European perspective to the debate: how to move from pilots to procurement, from innovation projects to structural funding, and from technology adoption to measurable change in modal split, safety and accessibility.
Leads the development of future mobility services in Linköping with a focus on sustainability, digitalization, and user-friendly solutions. Mattias has a background in social planning, IT, and municipal development, and is passionate about creating smooth and environmentally friendly ways to get around the city. At Dukaten and within the Sankt Kors group, he is responsible for driving mobility and parking issues forward in close collaboration with the public sector, business, and research.
Thony is based in Sweden and has nearly 40 years of experience within SKIDATA and the parking industry, mostly within the Nordic market but in recent years also within the Northern European region. With early experience from all the essentials such as technology, software and infrastructure for various system solutions to later in his work focusing mostly on the customer journey and customer benefit with all the different systems and solutions that will help users and operators. Has been a driving force in several projects that are at the forefront of the digital development we are now experiencing in the industry and has extensive experience in innovative solutions. Always on the lookout for creating new, better conditions and experiences for everyone involved. With his broad experience from both the technical and commercial side, he often finds new solutions to challenging requirements. A leader in his field who is constantly on the lookout for learning something new.
As an urban planner, Claire has been working on mobility, public space, and parking strategies for eight years. She joined the City of Paris administration in 2023 as a member of the ‘Bike Mission’ team, the department in charge of developing cycling infrastructure and coordinating the City’s cycling policy across the various departments of the municipal administration.
The team is fully committed to implementing the Paris Bike Plan, which aims to make Paris a 100% cycle-friendly city. This plan has driven a profound transformation of mobility and public space policies over recent years, leading to a dramatic increase in cycling since 2020.
As a member of the Bike Mission team, Claire is responsible for bicycle parking policy. She coordinates all topics related to the City’s bicycle parking strategy, ranging from on-street bike racks to public bicycle parking facilities, intermodal parking, and the mobilization of a wide range of public and private stakeholders.
