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During the conference "Low Emission Zone: Challenges and Opportunities for urban mobility", organized by Arup and MWCC, the need to integrate: environment, mobility, urban planning, public finances and digitization was discussed. This has been the first year in which Madrid has managed to comply with the European air quality regulations, passing all the tests carried out
Madrid, February 24, 2023.- Arup, the global sustainable development firm, and Madrid World Capital (MWCC) have organized the conference "Low Emission Zone: Challenges and Opportunities for urban mobility", which included the participation of the main actors in urban mobility in the country. Thus, this event, which took place at the headquarters of the Official College of Architects of Madrid (COAM) on February 22, reviewed the main challenges and opportunities for urban mobility, taking into account the challenging characteristics of a city like Madrid, where more than 12 million trips take place in public and private transport. As indicated at the event, this is the first year in which Madrid has managed to comply with the European air quality regulations, passing all the tests that have been done In this way, at the opening of the conference, the general mobility coordinator of the Madrid City Council, Federico Jiménez de Parga, highlighted the importance of Madrid 360 as an environmental sustainability strategy for the city. In the first round table, moderated by Ángel Zarabozo (MWCC), Paloma Alonso Garcia-Puente (MITMA), Ismael Aznar (PwC) and Miguel Prieto (Arup), discussed the previous aspects of definition, regulations, planning criteria and design models of Low Emission Zones ( ZBE), as well as the challenges and difficulties for its implementation, public aid for its implementation, and the favorable effect of digitization and ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems). During his speech, Miguel Prieto, associate director of Arup in Spain, stressed the need to integrate the different subjects that constitute the problem: environment, mobility, urban planning, public finances and digitization. In addition, he stressed the need to increase "sensitivity to understand that not all territories have the same mobility needs, although the large number of municipalities affected must join forces. It is important to involve all agents, encourage public-private collaboration in a broad sense". He also highlighted the importance of "giving the necessary push to the digital twin that unites the different urban infrastructure systems".Focused on technological challenges, the second panel discussion was moderated by José Luis López Oliete (Arup) and in it, Andrea Dall 'Oglio (Cintra), Miguel Melchor García (Abertis), Ignacio Valor (Suez), Álvaro Rodriguez (VOI) and Eugenia del Río (COAM), who discussed STIs in vehicles and infrastructure, micromobility and LEZs from a point of view social and environmental point of view. Thus, during the debate it was concluded that the LEZs pursue the reduction of polluting gas emissions from motor vehicles with fossil fuel, thus contributing to the objectives of sustainable development, to the improvement of air quality and noise levels. The idea is to act on urban and metropolitan mobility by means of limitations and access control of motor vehicles, based on their environmental label, with the main objective of causing a reduction in private mobility and an increase in park substitution. mobile. The measure is, without a doubt, an opportunity to improve air quality, and consequently achieve a healthier environment for citizens. However, its implementation should not be understood as an isolated entity or a simple access management. In this sense, it is a question, on the one hand, of incorporating the ZBE within the integral management of the city's mobility, in a planned and coordinated with all the public and/or private agencies involved, based on event management and automated response plans and with its consequent communication plan to all affected users - visitors and residents in peripheral areas - putting the citizen at the center of the proposal. For this, it is key to incorporate the necessary technology to manage all the information, incorporating predictive models for a proactive management of the available capacity. For David García Nuñez, president of MWCC: "ZBEs mark the path of more sustainable cities, with a improvement of mobility based on coordination, innovation and public services. Madrid is a clear example of how to execute an environmental sustainability strategy that improves the quality of life of citizens".
Issuer: Arup
Contact Contact name: Bernat Garcia Contact telephone number: 659 48 28 48
