The questionnaire to National SUMP Contact Points revealed that national support for Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) development varies across the Baltic Sea Region. Based on the responses of six National SUMP Contact Points there is variation between countries when it comes to organizing trainings and other resources for SUMP planning. As one of the biggest challenges cities face, the national Contact Points recognise the need for funding and financial support – not only for preparing SUMPs, but especially for the long‑term implementation. Governance and regional cooperation emerges as another key need. Cities face challenges in aligning SUMPs with wider governance and planning frameworks, especially when plans cover more than one municipality or functional urban area. Also, there is a strong demand for harmonised data collection, as current approaches are based on weak or incomplete data. This gap is particularly visible in the monitoring of SUMPs, which many countries identified as a priority area for further support.
The survey on Sustainable Urban Mobility and Logistics Planning got 86 responses and they covered each BSR country. Out of these responses 70% came from urban nodes. Around 2/3 of the respondents said that they have a SUMP or a similar plan in place. Despite the wide adoption of SUMPs in the region, cities indicated that the current modal split has not yet aligned with the established targets, and that planning efforts to date have had only a limited impact on modal shift.
The answers revealed that cities and regions across the Baltic Sea Region are increasingly advancing their sustainable mobility planning yet face notable challenges. The respondents highlighted public transport development as their top priority, reflecting a strong regional commitment to shifting towards more sustainable mobility modes.
At the same time, the survey showed significant barriers such as limited funding, shortages in staff capacity, and the impact of short-term political cycles on long-term mobility planning. Cities showed different levels of readiness for the updated TEN‑T requirements. Some cities were already well prepared, while others were still unsure how to apply the new requirements for urban nodes, multimodality and logistics.
The results of both surveys are used to guide upcoming peer‑learning, training and capacity‑building activities across the Baltic Sea Region, ensuring that cities and regions receive targeted support where it is most needed. The findings also serve as a foundation for evidence‑based planning, policy development and strengthened regional cooperation, helping cities prepare for the updated TEN‑T requirements and improve their sustainable urban mobility and logistics planning. Further analysis and focus group interviews will be conducted in 2026 to gain a deeper understanding of the results.
The presentation and the recording of the webinar are available below:
Urban Mobility and TEN‑T Readiness – Key Insights from the Baltic Sea Region.pdf
