FP5 research cluster is step towards ERA, says Busquin
Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin described the Land use and transport research cluster (LUTR), comprising ten projects involving 50 partners from 20 countries, as a step towards the European research area (ERA) on 31 January. Speaking at the 'Towards sustainable mobility' event in Brussels which was jointly organised by the European Commission and the European Parliament, Mr Busquin explained that the cluster is being supported by 13 million euro of Commission funds under its Fifth Framework programme (FP5). The main aim behind LUTR is to develop strategic approaches and methodologies in urban planning that promote more sustainable urban transport and development. The cluster ensures consistency and coordination between the 10 projects, researchers and stakeholders in order to contribute to bringing down barriers to sustainability and to improve the exploitation and dissemination of results. 'We face enormous challenges in making our cities more sustainable and in improving their quality of life. The answers lie both in identifying the right policies and in knowing how best to implement them. The LUTR team are committed to achieving this. We are looking for nothing less than a step change in the way in which urban transport and land use are planned and managed,' said the cluster's coordinator, Professor Tony May, from the Institute for transport studies at the University of Leeds. Professor May said that we have failed in the past because policy makers have placed too much emphasis on the car and the lorry, on economic growth rather than the environment, due to a political unwillingness to explore alternatives, a failure to adopt an integrated approach and individual ignorance regarding sustainability. The 10 projects involved in the cluster are: - ARTISTS: arterial streets towards sustainability - CITY FREIGHT: a study on the socio-economic and environmental impacts of changes in freight transport and door-to-door delivery in a variety of situations - ECOCITY: urban development towards appropriate structures for sustainable transport - ISHTAR: integrated software for health, transport efficiency and artistic heritage recovery - PROMPT: new means to promote pedestrian movement in cities - PROPOLIS: planning and research for land use and transport for increasing urban sustainability - PROSPECTS: procedures for recommending optimal sustainable planning of European city transport systems - SCATTER: sprawling cities and transport: from evaluation to recommendations - SUTRA: sustainable urban transportation for the city of tomorrow - TRANSPLUS: transport planning, land use and sustainability.