CEE Smart Cities Mobility Sprint 2026

Sustainable urban mobility planning has moved from a voluntary framework to a core requirement for European cities. Under the revised TEN-T Regulation, 431 urban nodes will be required to adopt a SUMP by the end of 2027. Cities are also expected to support climate-neutrality objectives and meet the stricter air pollutant limits introduced by the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive by 2030.

This shift is reflected in CEE cities’ strategic planning frameworks:

Having a strategy is becoming the baseline. The real test is whether cities can turn plans and compliance obligations into funded, operational and measurable delivery.

Our recent interviews with municipal leaders show cities moving beyond stand-alone projects towards more integrated mobility systems. Progress – and the remaining delivery gap – can be seen across five areas:

CEE cities demonstrate strong strategic ambition and clear mandates, but implementation is constrained by fragmented governance and funding, environmental compliance challenges, and limited public support and participation.

• National support across the region remains uneven: 45% of cities report insufficient national support for SUMP development and smart mobility initiatives 

• Cities continue to face insufficient and unpredictable financing: 76% lack dedicated financial instruments for SUMP implementation, and only 17% have a separate dedicated budget

• Air quality compliance creates an immediate planning and investment test: 44% of cities do not yet have a formal air quality roadmap aligned with the new requirements 

• Many cities also report limited public engagement and awareness of SUMP objectives, resulting in resistance to specific measures. Demand-management measures, such as restricting car access, reallocating street space and reforming parking, face greater political and public resistance than infrastructure expansion.

Looking ahead, several strategic priorities stand out:

• Linking air quality compliance with SUMP implementation by integrating pollutant targets, mobility indicators, responsible authorities, implementation timelines, and financing

• Strengthening national support through regulatory flexibility, long-term funding models, and knowledge exchange

• Building relevant knowledge and capacity to unlock diverse mobility funding/financing (PPPs, green bonds, private investment, special credit line, etc) 

• Harnessing stakeholder collaboration and knowledge exchange to co-design and accelerate smart mobility measures

The CEE mobility market is set for strong growth. However, unlocking its full potential will require meaningful structural change and closer collaboration on smart mobility initiatives among local authorities, public- and private-sector organisations, and other stakeholders.

Two years ago, we launched the CEE Smart Cities Mobility Index as a starting point for collective regional action: an honest assessment of the smart city thinking and activities across urban mobility stakeholders in the CEE region.

The CEE Smart Cities Mobility Sprint 2026 continues that journey, but this time focuses on how cities are responding to new regulatory expectations and what actions they are taking to ensure compliance.

Together with PSNM (The New Mobility Association) and EIT Urban Mobility, we engaged with 18 cities across Central and Eastern Europe. We spoke with local authorities about five key areas: Governance and social; Data, digital and AI; Funding and financing; Competitiveness, resilience and security; and Environmental. We explored how these areas are incorporated into urban mobility planning and aligned with SUMPs and other evolving policy frameworks, such as the European Green Deal, the Ambient Air Quality Directive, and the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy. Based on this qualitative analysis, we produced a report that provides an overview of regional collective action, highlighting best practices, shared challenges, and opportunities in smart mobility.