GreenCharge Project Deliverable: D7.3 Lessons Learned from Roadmap Development in Uptake Cities

The GreenCharge Deliverable 7.3 - Lessons Learned from Roadmap Development in Uptake Cities - sets out the process by which a group of European cities has been engaged in GreenCharge and coached in how to develop strategies regarding electric mobility. The GreenCharge Uptake cities were a group of European cities learning from the three GreenCharge pilots through site visits, webinars and further exchanges with each other and the project partners, in particular ICLEI and the City of Bremen. The final result of this work was the development of a roadmap for each city, outlining the development of e-mobility and their plans for the near and long-term future. The roadmap process was inspired by various existing examples from other projects, including a definition by the EU. In its essence, a roadmap is a strategic plan that defines how a desired future scenario can be achieved over a specific timeframe and within a particular area, such as an urban context. Key to these roadmaps is that they present complex and interrelated information in a single image, and support strategic communication both within local authorities and with the public. To support the Uptake Cities in their understanding of e-mobility and how to develop strategies, five webinars were organised. These webinars were conducted as a small group information exchange exercise in a closed environment to allow free exchange of questions and ideas on detailed topics relevant to each city. The webinars were moderated by ICLEI, and involved a mixture of internal GreenCharge speakers and invited representatives from external projects and suppliers. Topics covered included the roadmap development process, kerbside parking management, business models, and lessons learnt from the roadmap process. In addition to the webinars, three site visits – to each of the three GreenCharge pilots – were organised. The aim was to give the Uptake Cities a better understanding of the project and present them with real best practice examples in different European locations. A physical meeting was arranged in Bremen, and online meetings were arranged in Oslo and Barcelona (due to COVID restrictions on travel and meetings). Video footage and material was compiled from the pilot sites in advance to support the online meetings, to give as far of an immersive experience as possible. Each visit included interactive sessions with many opportunities for questions, answers and discussions between the GreenCharge project team and the Uptake Cities. In order to support the Uptake Cities further, and in between webinars and site visits, further group and 1:1 communications with city representatives was organised. Uptake Cities were asked for their feedback throughout the programme and at the final webinar. It showed the learning programme was appreciated and that their appetite for meeting the challenges of the transition to e- mobility in their own cities remains. This gives further emphasis to the fact that, although GreenCharge is ending, the learning needs continue to develop as cities advance in the implementation of their e-mobility strategies in the coming years, all from different points in the overall transition. The work with the Uptake Cities was very successful and led to different and detailed roadmaps that now enable these cities to better plan for their own e-mobility futures. Key lessons learnt from the work with these cities include that planning teams have a limited interaction with the technological component of e-mobility, that tensions with developing traditional sustainable transport choices remain, that the development of roadmaps led to more cross-departmental engagement and communication, and that fuels and energy for e- mobility is still a fairly new topic for transport planners