Drivers of and barriers to Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan implementation: Lessons from Copenhagen

Abstract

• Implementing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans hinges on specific drivers and barriers. • Despite the Plans’ generic outline, each city navigates different contexts. • Copenhagen’s established commitment to urban liveability benefits active mobility. • Conflicting political priorities and car dominance hamper ambitious planning. In 2013 the European Commission introduced Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) to promote healthy and sustainable cities. Because policymakers and researchers seek to understand the drivers of and barriers to SUMP implementation, we assessed the mobility plan of a frontrunner in sustainability: Copenhagen, Denmark. Informed by a review of policy documents, we conducted semi-structured interviews with experts on Copenhagen’s SUMP and analysed the data using thematic analysis. We find that Copenhagen’s SUMP implementation follows city-specific rather than European guidelines and is embedded in opposing institutional and political frameworks. The city’s established commitment to sustainability and urban liveability provides fertile ground for SUMP implementation, but motorised traffic remains dominant. In terms of evaluation, the SUMP defines and follows up on various implementation goals. Nonetheless, evaluation methods, policy lessons and status-group representation remain somewhat selective. Overall, the Copenhagen case shows that cities’ unique characteristics influence how policymakers embrace generic planning frameworks like SUMPs.

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