Europe’s Inclusive Transport Revolution 

This year’s EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK, running from 16–22 September 2025, comes complete with a powerful and timely theme: “Mobility for Everyone”. 
 

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The European Commission frames it as a call to action for accessible, affordable, inclusive, and safe transport for all — sustainable mobility solutions regardless of income, location, gender or ability. EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK invites us to rethink every journey and to ensure that public transport, together with walking, scooting and cycling (the three tenets of Active Travel), are fair options for everyone.

The European Commission has issued Recommendations for Member States to develop integrated policies seeking to reduce transport poverty and promote equitable transport systems that leave no one behind. Taken at face value, there is nothing contentious or arguable about that.

Launched as an annual event in 2002, the campaign spotlights behavioural change in favour of active mobility, public transport, and other sustainable solutions, culminating in the much-anticipated Car-Free Day.
 

Unpacking the Four Pillars of “Mobility for Everyone”

The European Commission succinctly articulates four guiding principles for this year’s edition:

1. Universal Access – Dismantle physical and digital barriers: ensuring transport systems are accessible to people with different mobility needs, rural communities, and digitally underserved groups.
2. Fair & Flexible Transport – Elevate low-cost, reliable options: from buses to walking, enabling everyone to choose modes that best fit their lives.
3. People-Powered Planning – Encourage participatory planning with communities shaping their mobility futures.
4. Stronger Regional Links – Promote better integration between urban and rural mobility systems so that accessibility isn’t limited to city centres and downtown areas.
    

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK’s four pillars form a roadmap toward equitable, connected and sustainable transport.

Cities Leading by Example: Bringing the Theme to Life

Local authorities across Europe are translating “Mobility for Everyone” into real-world solutions that resonate with their citizens with lasting impact:

Bologna (Italy)

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The city has turned education and community engagement into public policy. Through information stands, educational activities, and a powerful “Bologna 30” initiative, slashing speed limits to 30 km/h on 70% of its roads, it’s reshaped urban space for safety and inclusivity. Its efforts won the EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK Award in 2024.
 

Braga (Portugal)


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Braga continues to innovate with co-created programmes. Projects like Junior Police, where children work with police to monitor car usage, and the transformation of Dom Pedro V Street into a shared public space, engaged thousands of citizens and reclaimed space for people, not cars.
 

Leipzig (Germany)


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A dramatic car-free day closed the inner ring road for 12 hours, drawing 25,000 people. Events ranged from cargo-bike repair stations to an e-scooter parkour, self-driving prototypes, and panels on rethinking public spaces, a celebration of reclaiming urban life.
 

Bologna has turned education and community engagement into public policy through information stands, educational activities, and a powerful “Bologna 30” initiative.

Why “Mobility for Everyone” Matters Now

1. Combatting Transport Poverty
Mobility is a social justice issue. When transport is unreliable or expensive, people lose access to jobs, healthcare, education and community life. This campaign highlights the critical need to make mobility a basic right, not a privilege.

2. Reclaiming Public Space
By pairing Car-Free Days with educational outreach, cities reveal what streets could be: places for children to play, communities to gather, and nature to breathe, underscoring how transport policy is also urban policy.

3. Prepping for a Sustainable Future
Though “Mobility for Everyone” focuses on inclusivity, it remains nested within Europe’s broader green agenda, from the European Green Deal to the push for multimodal and electrified transport systems, making equitable access a component of climate strategy.

4. Empowering Local Democracy
When residents co-design initiatives, as seen in Bologna and Braga, they gain ownership of how they move in their city. Participatory planning creates both stronger systems and stronger communities.
 

By pairing Car-Free Days with educational outreach, cities reveal what streets could be: places for children to play, communities to gather, and nature to breathe.

What Awaits on the Road Ahead

• Urban-Rural Connectivity: Modernising rural transport through on-demand shuttles, community buses, and digital integration can prevent exclusion beyond city centres.
• Affordability First: Subsidies, fare-integrated tickets, and community-led travel hubs can make sustainable modes more accessible.
• Digital Inclusion: Mobility apps and information platforms must serve all users, including those less digitally connected.
• Inclusive Infrastructure: Sidewalks, stations, stops, and signage designed with accessibility in mind, from tactile paving to step-free access.
• Permanent Transformations: Car-Free Days should inspire lasting urban redesigns, from pedestrian zones to bike-priority street layouts.

(Credit: European Mobility Week)

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2025 is more than a campaign. It’s a vision of transport as a public good with the theme “Mobility for Everyone,” Europe invites us to broaden the lens beyond infrastructure: to equity, to community, and to imagination.
 

EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK 2025 is more than a campaign. It’s a vision of transport as a public good.

Cities and local authorities are getting ready to participate in Europe’s leading campaign for sustainable urban mobility. Over 1300 communities in 37 countries across Europe are working towards the ultimate goal: cleaner, more inclusive transport.

Register your city, town or local authority to showcase your commitment to accessible, low-emission transport during EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK.