Shift towards attractive and sustainable urban transport in cities

What is sustainable transport, and why do we need tailored solutions?

Sustainable transport is about moving people and goods in a way that doesn’t harm the environment and has no negative social impacts. Core components of sustainable transport include affordability, accessibility and safe infrastructure. It means creating safe walking and cycling infrastructure in all neighbourhoods and ensuring that streets are designed to be safe and accessible for everyone, regardless of their mode of transportation.

There are many good examples of how cities promote and implement sustainable transportation. For example, the City of Stockholm plans to achieve net-zero by 2030 through five key mobility measures: introducing zero-emission zones, expanding citywide electric charging infrastructure, scaling up shared mobility services, shifting freight to emission-free deliveries, and boosting safe, high-quality cycling infrastructure.

While there are many reasonable solutions available, simply copying them will not produce the same results. It is also important to understand the psychological factors that influence transportation choices. How do people make decisions about transport?  How do people’s attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions influence choices, and what role do social norms play in choices?  People are generally more motivated to avoid losses than to gain equivalent benefits, so promoting sustainable transport by emphasizing the avoidance of negative outcomes (like traffic congestion or pollution) is often more effective than highlighting positive gains. Additionally, individuals are more likely to adopt sustainable transport behaviors if they perceive these actions as common and socially accepted among their peers.

Research in BiH is showing us that there is a social and cultural resistance to adopting new mobility options, as well as gendered patterns in transport. This suggests that gendered social expectations may influence how and when certain social groups use public transportation. Cities can utilise these insights for social marketing campaigns to promote sustainable transportation and help establish it as a social norm.

Gaining traction on the political agenda

This topic is gaining momentum on the global and European political agendas, with the United Nations planning to launch the first-ever United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport, 2026-2035. This will be an opportunity to raise further awareness of transport’s crucial role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and to gather and rally new solutions, resources and partnerships to advance sustainable transport globally.  In recent years, both political recognition and scientific understanding of the connections between transport and resilient infrastructure, food security, economic growth, trade, supply chains, health, energy efficiency, and climate action have significantly strengthened, highlighting its central role in sustainable development.

The European Union has reinforced its commitment through policies such as the European Green Deal, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, and investments supporting clean mobility, multimodal integration, and equitable urban transport systems. The European Declaration for Sustainable and Attractive Public Transport in Cities unites major European cities and transport organisations in a pledge to make public transport more sustainable, accessible, and resilient, which facilitates seamless daily mobility across Europe’s urban areas.

Local solutions for a better transport system in Živinice

Živinice is working to modernize its transport system as part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s broader transition toward sustainable mobility, supported by the BiH SuTra project. Marking World Sustainable Transport Day, the city’s new Sustainable Transport Study, an action from its 2050 Sustainable Transition Plan, lays the groundwork for a greener, more connected future aligning with its vision of becoming a modern, energy-efficient, and inclusive city.

With a large and diverse territory spanning dense urban areas, busy suburbs, and remote rural settlements, Živinice faces multiple mobility challenges, including congestion, weak connectivity between 26 local communities, limited public transport, ageing vehicles, underdeveloped walking and cycling routes, and gaps in climate-related data. The study highlights growing pressure from commuting, high emissions from old diesel vehicles, and insufficient safety at key road points, while noting that current electrification and fleet renewal remain too slow to meet decarbonization goals.

To address these issues, it proposes a comprehensive roadmap that combines high-investment projects, such as bypasses, underground parking, and Intelligent Transport Systems, with medium-cost improvements to road infrastructure and low-cost but high-impact measures like reorganizing traffic flows, improving signage, enhancing pedestrian safety, and expanding cycling options. In practice, the optimal approach for the municipality is a combination of all three categories, implemented in phases and supported by continuous evaluation to ensure effectiveness and alignment with long-term transport objectives.

Ultimately, sustainable transport is not just about cleaner vehicles or fewer traffic jams. It is about giving people choices - affordable buses that run on time, safe sidewalks and cycle paths, reliable connections between rural and urban communities, and a transport network resilient to climate and economic shifts. Živinice is taking meaningful steps in this direction and the BiH SuTra project is pleased to support this journey.