Think about cities in Central and Eastern Europe.
What if we said that the future of urban mobility is already in motion? The CEE Smart Cities Mobility Index finds that cities in our region are well on the way to a sustainable future. CEE cities are innovating and evolving in a smarter direction in how their citizens get around. There is, however, still a long way to travel.
The CEE Smart Cities Mobility Index strives for a better understanding of smart cities and mobility in major cities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Inspired by a global PwC report, Smart Cities: Mobility ecosystems for a more sustainable future, published in 2022, the CEE edition encompasses 25 cities across the region.
The Index is intended to be a starting point for collective regional action—an honest assessment of the state of the smart city thinking and activities of Central and Eastern European urban mobility stakeholders. The Index reflects the need to assess and acknowledge the challenges that the region faces—but also to identify and showcase best practices that are currently to be found in CEE cities. It also strives to provide insights for urban decision-makers throughout our region.
In this study Ukraine is represented by two cities – Kyiv and Lviv. Both cities have been recognized for their progress in the area of mobility. Specifically, the "Kyiv Digital" application was awarded in the category "CEE Tech and Data-led Mobility Solution”, and the project by the Lviv City Council to improve accessibility of public transport for people with limited mobility, including people with disabilities, was noted in the CEE Public Transport Innovation category.
“For several years in a row, Ukraine has been moving towards digitalization, improving urban services and their accessibility for all categories of the population, improving mobility, as well as implementing environmental initiatives aimed at reducing emissions and improving air quality in cities. Moreover, this study has shown that Ukrainian cities have achievements and proven practices in this area, so their experience can be useful for other European cities. The ongoing war has introduced more challenges, and, unfortunately, the number of people with additional mobility and inclusion needs in Ukraine is increasing. Despite these hurdles, progress in improving mobility continues, supported by investments in transport and road infrastructure, assistance from international partners, and efforts from the authorities. We must not wait for the war to end to start rebuilding Ukraine; the rebuilding activities should start now, considering best practices and principles of sustainable development, particularly, in the area of smart mobility.”
Among the achievements highlighted in the Index, it is noted that Lviv boasts the highest percentage of segregated bicycle infrastructure at 70%. This is due to the active development of cycling infrastructure, which exceeded 100 km even before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Lviv, supported by the governments of Germany and Switzerland, is currently developing the Sustainable Urban Development Plan.
In turn, Kyiv is identified as the city with the highest percentage of people who walk – 35%, and pedestrian infrastructure is one of areas of smart mobility. Kyiv is followed by Bucharest, Budapest, Košice, and Ljubljana with a rate of 29%. Another significant social project of the Kyiv City Council is the creation of an accessibility map in the "Kyiv Digital" application, which will help people with limited mobility navigate the city more comfortably.
The CEE Smart Cities Mobility Index highlights a the current state of the mobility area, and also contains information about the received achievements and outlines the challenges specific the CEE region. It aims at serving as a baseline for future coordinated efforts within the region. The study highlights various activities and initiatives which local authorities, businesses, and other stakeholders are already implementing in cities. These initiatives can serve as examples for other cities in the region.
“This research is very important for Ukraine as it highlights best practices in the area of smart mobility in the cities of Central and Eastern Europe. In the context of rebuilding cities and infrastructure following the “build back better” principle, it is essential to consider all aspects of smart mobility as well. After all, it will allow to provide a more comfortable living environment for individuals with limited mobility, improve the climate, and contribute to the sustainable development of cities. Additionally, smart mobility projects will attract investments in city development, which is vital for local budgets nowadays.”
Methodology and analysis
The Index is based on data collected in four broad categories: traffic management, environmental sustainability, public transport and active mobility.
- Segregated cycling infrastructure, share of people walking on a typical day, share of people cycling on a typical day.
- Cost of monthly public transport ticket, cost of a taxi journey, public transport usage and satisfaction
- Congestion levels, journey times, inefficiency index/car usage, battery-operated rates and charging infrastructure
- Air pollution, PM2.5 and PM10 (μg/m3) and CO2 emissions due to traffic
The CEE Smart Cities Mobility Index’s methodology is built on two key elements. A quantitative data analysis provides a statistical understanding of the current state of smart mobility in the featured cities. Secondly, qualitative information from key stakeholder interviews identifies smart mobility challenges and best practice through numerous case studies.
Key Findings
Data on smart mobility isn’t readily available in our region—that’s why this work in attempting to establish an initial baseline is so important.
Air quality is a major challenge faced by our region’s cities. Only one city in the Index, Tallinn, has air quality that meets World Health Organisation safety standards.
Best-performing cities are located within the EU and in the western part of our region. Geography and history are important—but policy context also appears influential in why EU countries perform better.
Producing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) appear to have focused minds in CEE-EU cities in finding innovative ways to make urban mobility more sustainable.
The role of tax deductions, state aid and EU funding—and cross-sectoral collaboration, are top of the mind for CEE local authorities and other mobility stakeholders.
Local authorities across the region might consider taking a more active role in improving BEV infrastructure. Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) infrastructure is improving, but in most cities, this is very much private sector-led.
Meeting the ambitious targets of the European Green Deal will be very challenging for CEE-EU cities, and for CEE cities more generally.
There are some shining examples of good progress—but collectively we need to pick up the pace of transformation.
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