Lisbon to test data-driven mobility interventions

Lisbon has partnered with the Sustainable Urban Transitions (SUT) Lab at ETH Zurich to develop and test urban mobility interventions aimed at improving movement throughout the Portuguese capital.

The initiative, supported by the Bolt Urban Fund, will see the city act as a real-world testing ground for measures designed to improve the balance between traffic, cycling, micromobility, pedestrian accessibility and the use of public space.

Under the partnership, researchers from the SUT Lab will work with Lisbon City Council to design and implement pilot projects, using a combination of municipal data, Bolt mobility data, simulation modelling and user surveys. The findings will inform updates to Lisbon’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan.

Unlike traditional mobility studies, the project will focus on testing interventions in public space and measuring their impacts before any wider implementation.

“What makes this partnership distinctive is that we are not just studying the streets of Lisbon, we are testing real interventions and measuring their impact with rigour,” said Eva Heinen, Professor, ETH Zurich. “This evidence-based approach is how cities like Lisbon can test and learn to realise their ambitions in sustainable mobility.”

The partnership builds on work already underway in other European cities. Last year, Cities Today reported that Seville and Hanover had joined the SUT Lab programme to explore how data-driven analysis could support transport planning and investment decisions.

Research in those cities focused on understanding travel behaviour, multimodal transport networks and the role of mobility hubs that connect public transport, shared bikes, e-scooters and ride-hailing services. The initiative also examined how simulation modelling could help cities assess the likely impacts of transport investments before construction begins.

According to ETH Zurich researchers involved in the earlier programme, the approach is intended to help cities identify projects that could reduce car dependency, lower emissions and improve public transport use.

Lisbon officials said the partnership aligns with the city’s ambition to use innovation and evidence-based policymaking to improve urban mobility.

“Lisbon has been establishing itself as a city of innovation applied to real needs,” Gonçalo Reis, Vice-President of Lisbon City Council said. “The partnership we have formed with ETH Zurich SUT Lab via the Bolt Urban Fund will allow us to test concrete, data- and evidence-based solutions to open more streets to people and foster integrated movement, promoting organised and efficient urban mobility.”

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