Ten Years On, MobiliseYourCity Prepares Its Next Chapter at 17th Steering Committee

Brussels, 27 January — The 17th Steering Committee of MobiliseYourCity took place at the European Commission offices in Brussels, bringing together all key partners to define the Partnership’s strategic orientation for the coming years. Ten years after its creation, the meeting demonstrated that MobiliseYourCity remains an active and committed partnership, with partners engaging because they see clear added value in coordinated action on sustainable urban mobility.

The Steering Committee focused on three main objectives: advancing the 2026–2030 strategy, preparing the 10-year anniversary of the Partnership, and identifying priority technical topics for the next phase of work.

Leadership Transition and Strategic Alignment

A key institutional development marked the meeting. EU DG INTPA formally concluded its mandate as Chair of the Steering Committee and handed over the role to Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for the next two years. BMZ will also steer the process of finalising the 2026-2030 MobiliseYourCity strategy.

Building on intensive exchanges in recent weeks, partners continued their in-depth review of the latest draft strategy. The strategy is now more strategic and less operational. It features a stronger positioning and narrative. The vision of the partnership was reworked, a dedicated section on results was added, and a new section on the strategic relevance of urban mobility investments was introduced.

The revised document strengthens alignment with broader international and European policy frameworks while maintaining responsiveness to local priorities. Partners reaffirmed that Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP) remain the core instrument for identifying and addressing local priorities. This balance ensures that MobiliseYourCity remains inclusive and demand-driven, responding concretely to cities’ and countries’ needs while contributing to global climate and development objectives.

Discussions addressed the value and potential risks of positioning MobiliseYourCity as a geopolitical EU instrument. A convergence of views is emerging, with further dialogue planned to consolidate consensus before final adoption of the strategy.

10-Year Anniversary Linked to Connecting Europe Days

The Steering Committee agreed to align the 10-year anniversary of MobiliseYourCity with the Connecting Europe Days in September 2026 in Brussels. This high-level EU event was identified as the most strategic platform to mobilise senior policymakers, partners, and potentially member cities and countries around the Partnership’s achievements and future ambitions. The anniversary will serve both to showcase impact and to reinforce political momentum for the years ahead.

New Technical Priorities for 2026

Partners highlighted a set of priority technical topics for 2026, with the aim of strengthening coordination and reinforcing the Partnership’s positioning and impact:

• Economic growth and jobs linked to urban mobility, including direct and indirect employment generated by mobility investments, improved access to labour markets, and enhanced urban competitiveness enabled by efficient transport systems.
• Suburban rail and cable cars for metropolitan areas, exploring scalable infrastructure, operational and maintenance solutions for cities in the Global South.
• Data management for urban mobility planning, focusing on innovative and efficient approaches to data collection, management and evidence-based decision-making.
• SUMP and NUMP implementation, drawing lessons and practical insights from ongoing support projects in cities such as Yaoundé, Santo Domingo and Dakar.

Next Steps

The Secretariat will convene key partners in the coming weeks to finalise the updated strategy. It will also initiate knowledge development on the identified technical topics and start planning concretely for the 10-year anniversary event, enabling partners to begin mobilising participants and shaping key messages.

A decade into its existence, MobiliseYourCity continues to function as a strategic and operational partnership. The strong engagement of its members at the 17th Steering Committee reflects a shared recognition that collective action delivers greater impact, and that the Partnership remains a relevant and valued platform in the evolving global mobility landscape.