News

Article by Stefan Gabi, Project Leader in Mobility Planning at VECTOS; with editing by Anna Westervelt, Communications & Member Relations at ICLEI Europe

Growing tomatoes requires sun, water, soil, fertiliser, and pruning. Experienced gardeners know how to accelerate growth by providing the right amount of these factors at the right time. FastTrack is about the accelerated deployment of innovative mobility solutions. In parallel to working on these solutions on the ground in the 24 cities and municipalities involved, the FastTrack community is also reflecting on “acceleration-factors” on a more general level.

What does it require to accelerate the deployment of innovative mobility solutions? What type of environment is most supportive? As in the case with tomatoes, it is certainly a combination of different aspects and the local context is vastly important, requiring unique constellations in different cities.

The following factors were defined as a first general approach, resulting from the FastTrack Needs Assessment conducted at the beginning of the project, and the current work of the FastTrack Local Affiliate Cities on their deployment plans:

1. Dealing with, recognising, and responding to the external environment and status quo
2. Political buy-in and support
3. Innovation clustering
4. Engaging users in conversation and transition
5. Finding a role for the private and public sector to work together
6. The right measure for the right job
7. Data management and indicators
8. Money and finances
9. Visioning, changing and looking towards the future
10. Skills, capacities, cultures, professional leadership, technical plans, and preparations

The discussion will be continued within the FastTrack-community during the upcoming Capacity Building Week taking place in Ambassador city, Bologna (Italy), at the end of October.

Which is your point of view on this? Is any important aspect missing in this overview? Are some of these factors more important than others and should be highlighted?

Share your experience by writing to info@FastTrackMobility.eu or posting on our LinkedIn or Twitter pages.