Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning training programme kicks off with Module 1

On 14 January 2026, the Training Programme, organised by SUMPs for BSR project, officially launched with the first webinar of a five-module webinar-and-workshop series dedicated to Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning (SUMP). The programme is organised by the SUMPs for BSR project, co-funded by the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme.

The opening webinar, Module 1: Getting started with the process and its basic principles, brought together around 50 participants from cities, regions and organisations across the Baltic Sea Region and beyond. While the training programme is primarily designed for small and mid-sized cities, it is open to anyone interested in strengthening their knowledge of sustainable urban mobility planning.

Understanding SUMP as a process, not just a plan

The main expert input was delivered by Dr Kristina Gaučė, a long-standing SUMP trainer and key expert in the programme. Her presentation focused on the foundations of Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning and how it differs from traditional transport planning approaches.

Rather than concentrating on traffic flow or infrastructure capacity alone, SUMP places people, accessibility and quality of life at the centre of planning decisions.

“Mobility is not transportation,” Dr Gaučė explained. “Mobility is a quality which explains how many choices you had for that transportation act, and how sustainable those were.”

She emphasised that SUMP should be understood as an integrated and continuous planning process, linking land-use planning, transport systems, environmental objectives, governance structures and stakeholder engagement. Particular attention was given to the importance of realistic goal-setting, monitoring and evaluation, and focusing on measures that cities can actually implement within their available capacities.

“The best SUMP is not the awarded document, but the implemented plan,” she noted.

What is new in the updated SUMP Guidelines

The webinar continued with a presentation by Morgane Juliat (Rupprecht Consult), who introduced the upcoming update of the European SUMP Guidelines. She explained how the revised guidelines respond to recent policy developments at the EU level, including the TEN-T Regulation, and place stronger emphasis on planning beyond administrative borders and addressing mobility challenges at the scale of functional urban areas.

The updated guidelines also reinforce the role of data-driven planning, monitoring and evaluation, as well as the integration of urban logistics, inclusion and transport poverty considerations. While these developments are particularly relevant for cities identified as TEN-T urban nodes, Morgane underlined that the updated guidance is intended to support cities of all sizes and at different stages of the SUMP process.

Learning from practice: the Gdynia experience

The final contribution came from Justyna Suchanek (City of Gdynia), who shared practical lessons from Gdynia’s long-term experience with SUMP development and implementation. Her presentation illustrated how SUMP can function as a day-to-day management tool, rather than a document consulted only occasionally.

Drawing on Gdynia’s 12-step approach, she highlighted the importance of internal cooperation, political continuity, stakeholder dialogue and realistic monitoring systems.

“The challenge was the gap between the strategy and daily decisions,” she explained, pointing to the need to better connect long-term goals with everyday planning and investment choices.

Small-scale pilots and experimentation, she noted, have played a key role in testing solutions, learning from experience and building trust before permanent measures are introduced.

Beyond training: tailored support through the SUMP Clinic

In addition to the training programme, the SUMPs for BSR project also offers a SUMP Clinic — a tailored support opportunity for selected Baltic Sea Region cities that need support and want to clarify their next steps in sustainable urban mobility planning.

The SUMP Clinic is designed as an assistance, rather than an evaluation or audit. Participating cities receive two free online consultation sessions with SUMP experts and conclude the process with a short, practical roadmap focused on priorities moving forward. The clinic is particularly suited for cities that are at an early stage or that are experiencing difficulties with their SUMP process. If you see your city one of them, seize this opportunity by applying by 30 January: https://bsr-sump.eu/training/sumpclinic/

What comes next

Module 1 continues with a hands-on workshop on 21 January 2026. The training programme then continues through five thematic modules until May 2026, covering monitoring and evaluation, data collection for active modes, small-scale pilots and stakeholder engagement.

The webinar recording and learning materials will be made available via the Baltic Sea Region SUMP Competence Centre, allowing participants to revisit the content or follow the programme at their own pace.
https://bsr-sump.eu/training/m1-sump-basics/

Registration for upcoming webinars and workshops, as well as applications for the SUMP Clinic, are open at:
👉 https://bsr-sump.eu/training/

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