CIVITAS PORTIS

CIVITAS PORTIS aimed to improve the sustainability of European port cities with 49 innovative mobility measures that promoted cooperation between city centres and ports. TML shared findings with other cities, conducted analyses on the applicability of measures, and developed training programmes.

CIVITAS PORTIS' main objective was to improve sustainability in European port cities. The project was set up from the realisation that port cities actually have two centres: the city centre and the port. This can lead to competing and sometimes conflicting demands on the transport network. Over the course of the CIVITAS PORTIS project, 33 partners from five European port cities collaborated with six research partners - including TML. In the process, they implemented 49 innovative and sustainable mobility measures to improve the accessibility and sustainability of their cities and ports. The project tackled challenges such as aligning city and port priorities, using extensive data, shifting to sustainable transport modes, optimising multimodal systems, and making freight flows more efficient.

The participating cities in the project were Aberdeen (Scotland), Antwerp (Belgium), Constanta (Romania), Klaipeda (Lithuania), Trieste (Italy), and additionally Ningbo (China) as an observer city.

TML analysed the transferability of these measures to other cities, organising webinars, training sessions, and workshops. The project also established global collaborations through AIVP (the international association of cities and ports) and created 15 fiches highlighting the conditions for replicating successful measures.

CIVITAS PORTIS ensured 80% of its measures will continue post-project, with several being scaled regionally. The integrated approach—focusing on governance, behavioural change, and stakeholder involvement—provides a framework for future projects, fostering sustainable and liveable port-city environments across Europe. Insights will also inform other CIVITAS initiatives like SUMPs-Up.