Good for children - good for everyone
For children and young people to be able to move sustainably in the public sphere, they need child and youth-friendly infrastructure, suitable mobility services (such as public transport and bicycle sharing), and a safe, engaging environment for play and physical activity. At the same time, they are the most affected by the numerous negative impacts of high car traffic, such as accidents, air pollution, noise, physical inactivity, etc. As a result, child and youth-friendly design of public space and mobility is crucial and benefits everyone: “If we can build a successful city for children, we will have a successful city for all people.” This quote from Enrique Peñelosa, former mayor of the city of Bogotá, is now more relevant than ever.
THE PEP Partnership on child- and youth-friendly mobility
In the spring of 2021, the 5th High-level meeting of THE PEP (Transport, Health & Environment Pan-European Programme) took place in Vienna, where the Vienna Declaration was adopted. The declaration reaffirms efforts to pay more attention to children and young people and their needs. It was the impetus for a new THE PEP Partnership: the THE PEP Partnership on child- and youth-friendly mobility.
The partnership aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and good practice examples, and to contribute to the creation of services for child and youth-friendly mobility in the pan-European region. It was initiated by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation, and Technology. An ambitious goal of the partnership is to prepare a comprehensive pan-European master plan on child- and youth-friendly mobility. Youth organisations and young people will be involved in the partnership and its activities, giving them a voice on the matter.
The first meeting of the newly established partnership took place in December 2021 in an online format and laid the foundation for the cooperation between the THE PEP Member States. In lively discussions, successful initiatives were presented, and topics with a particular need for action were defined. Three meetings followed, in June 2022 in Vienna, September 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal and in Vienna in the framework of the THE PEP Partnership and klimaaktiv mobil Conference in April 2023.
We will keep you updated on the THE PEP Partnership on child- and youth-friendly mobility here on the klimaaktiv mobil website!
