Cleaner, Smarter Urban Mobility in Practice: Insights from Seoul and Rotterdam at the IURC Thematic Webinar

The IURC Community of Practice on Smart Mobility and Advanced Technology hosted its first thematic webinar, bringing together European and Asia–Australasia partner cities to share concrete policy tools for managing growing urban density while cutting transport-related emissions. Rather than focusing on strategy alone, the session spotlighted hands-on solutions already being tested on the ground.

Managing dense cities through data-driven logistics: insights from Rotterdam

Rotterdam (Netherlands) presented three practical approaches to managing freight and construction-related traffic in increasingly compact urban areas.

First, the city introduced a freight traffic model calibrated with ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) data, enabling more accurate monitoring of logistics flows at street level. By combining vehicle detection with sectoral information, Rotterdam can better understand who is driving where—and design targeted policies for different types of freight operators.

Second, Rotterdam shared its approach to managing cumulative traffic and environmental burden from overlapping construction projects. As multiple large developments take place in close proximity, the city uses predictive modelling to estimate combined congestion and noise impacts. Developers are encouraged to coordinate logistics schedules and mitigation measures, promoting joint responsibility for reducing disruption to residents.

Third, Rotterdam highlighted emerging work on future loading and unloading space requirements, recognising that public space is becoming increasingly scarce as cities densify. The aim is to integrate logistics needs into urban development planning, ensuring new projects accommodate freight activity within private premises rather than overusing public streets.

Shifting everyday travel habits with incentives: the Seoul Climate Card

The second presentation showcased how Seoul (Republic of Korea) is encouraging citizens to move away from private cars through its Climate Card, an unlimited public transport pass introduced as part of the city’s climate action measures.

The scheme links affordable access to subways, buses and shared bikes with broader sustainability goals, making low-carbon mobility the easiest daily choice for residents. Early results show increased public transport use and a measurable reduction in private car trips, demonstrating how pricing and convenience can shape everyday mobility behaviour. The Climate Card also integrates digital services and partnerships with private providers, expanding the mobility ecosystem beyond traditional public transport.

Two paths, one goal: reducing emissions in dense cities

The discussion highlighted an interesting contrast between the two approaches:

• Rotterdam’s measures focus on regulatory and planning tools to manage freight, construction logistics and space constraints.
• Seoul’s Climate Card emphasises behavioural change and incentives to shift individual travel choices.

Despite these different methods, both cities are tackling the same challenges: congestion, emissions, and the pressure of growing urban density. Participants noted the value of learning how administrative tools and citizen-focused incentives can complement each other in building cleaner, more liveable cities.

Toward shared learning and pilot cooperation

Cities expressed interest in continuing exchanges on:

• How data and modelling can guide fair, targeted logistics regulation,
• How integrated ticketing and funding models for public transport can be negotiated among multiple stakeholders, and
• How behavioural insights can support long-term modal shift.

The webinar marked the starting point for deeper cooperation within CoP 1, with follow-up exchanges expected to explore joint learning activities, comparative case studies, and potential pilot actions. By grounding discussions in real-world experiments, the Community of Practice is moving closer to translating policy dialogue into tangible improvements for urban mobility and quality of life.

Written by Soomin Yang, Programme Officer in CityNet, IURC Korean Helpdesk
(korea.helpdesk@iurc.eu)