Kicking off 2025 - A second year of city testing and implementation - in Porvoo!

Authors: Harry Dobbs and Dennis Martinez

The first order of business was for the consortium to officially welcome the host, City of Porvoo, to the consortium as the newest addition, with this partner meeting representing the first time the organisation has been involved. No better place!

The objectives of the fourth BATS partner meeting were to kick-start 2025, the year of pilot and experiment implementation, and further the discussions on all practical matters concerning year-round active mobility. The meeting in Porvoo also provided an opportunity for the partners to enjoy each-others company again, continuing the collaboration developed throughout the project so far.

Day 1 commenced with a detailed and informative workshop to discuss the four key dimensions of the BATS approach to year-round active mobility: winter maintenance, infrastructure, lighting elements, and traffic management. The workshop marked the establishment of a year-long collaboration of working groups tackling each theme. The findings of each group will be regularly presented within the consortium in the coming months, with the cooperation across nations forming a key theme of the project.

Following the constructive workshop, partners channeled their enthusiasm and productivity into a scavenger hunt through Porvoo’s unique old town. This was the perfect way for the consortium to learn more about the history and details of the city, while experiencing the conditions and climate faced by local active mobility users.

The first day of exchanges concluded with a top-notch meal at Salt restaurant, kindly hosted by Porvoo’s Deputy Mayor Fredrick von Schoultz. Partners had the opportunity to catch up in a more informal setting and digest the fruitful discussions of the day.

BATS Partners exploring Porvoo during the day 1 scavenger hunt

Day 2 started with a keynote speech from Timo Perälä of the Winter Cycling Federation, a great inspiration from the capital of winter cycling itself, Oulu. Topics discussed during the session included the nuances of winter cycling planning, and how to navigate political, economic, and societal barriers to achieve a robust and year-round cycling culture. Many thanks to Timo for his insightful and thought-provoking presentation!

The second day of collaboration continued with presentations and exchanges on the BATS Toolkit for Enabling Year-Round Active Mobility. Now that the first draft versions of the toolkits are available, time was allocated for partners to test the outputs and provide valuable feedback. This marked the start of an iteration cycle that will continue throughout the coming 12 months, with a collection of tested and validated products expected in 2026 as a result.

Continuing a busy yet highly productive morning, Agata Ludwiczak of project partner Municipality of Gdynia presented the results of their first school campaign on active mobility run during the fall-winter period. The Gdynia team found that the attitudes of children towards walking and cycling rose significantly, although parents continued to bring them to school by car. The next campaign will focus on changing the mindset of parents, with the hope of expanding a widespread local culture of year-round active mobility.

During the afternoon, the consortium left the meeting rooms behind to embark on a combined tour by bus and on foot. The tour took us beyond the city centre, as partners visited various urban developments being established across the municipality. Highlights of the tour included visiting an old highway due to be transformed into a multi-purpose boulevard, the construction of a sports centre accessible by all transport modes, or the upcoming plans to revamp a main town square from a de-facto parking garage into a liveable public “living room,” featuring examples of urban greening, sitting areas, space for events, and much more.

Day 3 saw the consortium get practical, as partners discussed the planned activities for 2025, defining a line of priorities and actions to follow the meeting. Discussion topics included the upcoming BATS Webinar on Year-Round Active Mobility. Open for anyone to attend, the webinar promises to be highly engaging and informative, with attendees learning more about the real-life approaches to YRAM being taken through the BATS project.

The BATS consortium will come together again in the spring in Gdynia, Poland. The next partner meeting will coincide with the famous Velo-city cycling conference, being hosted in the neighbouring city of Gdansk.

Project partners: Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg-Borough of Altona (DE), Umeå Municipality (SE), City of Porvoo (FI), Municipality of Gdynia (PL), Kalundborg Municipality (DK), Klaipeda Public Transport Authority (LT), Union of Harju County Municipalities (EE), Gate 21 (DK), Swedish Cycling Advocacy Organization (SE), Aalto University (FI), Tallinn University of Technology (EE), Gdansk University of Technology (PL).

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