June 16–17, 2025 | Boston, USA
We are proud to highlight key moments from the IURC North America Thematic Networking Event on Sustainable Urban Mobility & Transport (SUMT), held in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).
This impactful two-day event brought together over 20 cities from Europe and North America, offering a collaborative space to explore innovative approaches in public transit, active mobility, and traffic safety, key components for building climate-resilient cities.
🚲 Topics covered included:
- Active Mobility Policies
- Traffic Safety Technologies
- Climate Resiliency in Mass Transit
- Last-Mile Delivery Strategies
Day 1: Knowledge Sharing & Field Exploration:
The event kicked off with welcoming words from Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Secretary and CEO of MassDOT, and Kristian Hedberg, Counsellor for Mobility and Transport at the EU Delegation to the USA, followed by a series of workshops and roundtable discussions at the MassDOT offices featuring keynote presentations from Madrid and San Francisco. Local experts from MassDOT, MBTA and participating cities also shared challenges, best practices and lessons learned in implementing forward thinking urban mobility strategies.
In the afternoon, the participants joined MBTA, City of Boston, and MassDOT staff on a visit through six neighbourhoods, two different trains, and a bus while discussing the plans for the electrification of a commuter rail line, seeing green-roof bus stops, experiencing the potential for a transformative transit project, and witnessing the first centre-running bus lane in New England.
Day 2: Safer Streets and Local Innovation
On the second day participants visited projects managed by the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) and Boston Public Works, with a focus on:
- Urban traffic calming technologies
- Curb management for logistics
- Bike lane integration
The event concluded with a final session to reflect on takeaways and next steps, emphasizing how cities can turn urban transport challenges into opportunities for innovation and collaboration.
This event was proudly supported by the European Union as part of its commitment to advancing international cooperation on urban sustainability. The program is funded by the European Union and managed with guidance from the European Union delegations in Canada and the United States.