Urban Nodes: Empowering cities and regions to build the TEN-T

The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is an essential driver for the improvement of the movement of people and goods throughout Europe. With the 2023 agreement on the revision of the TEN-T regulation, the European Union has laid out a comprehensive plan to improve mobility and sustainability in Europe’s transport infrastructure, acknowledging the local level as a crucial component of the network’s performance. The new TEN-T regulation strengthens the function of cities as essential facilitators of multimodal, efficient, and sustainable transportation. In order to facilitate smooth traffic flows from, to, and across urban nodes on the TEN-T network, the regulation identifies 431 cities as urban nodes and sets out specific guidelines for them.  

Each urban node should have a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), a long-term, integrated plan covering every facet of mobility within the functional urban area, by 2027. The objective of these plans is to promote effective and environmentally friendly transportation networks by giving priority to sustainability, safety, and accessibility. Additionally, urban nodes must gather and provide the European Commission with urban mobility data by the same deadline. Important topics like accessibility, safety, and sustainability will be covered by this data, which will offer insightful information for infrastructure development and policymaking. 

In order to address policies, governance concerns, and the planning of multimodal and interconnected hubs in cities, as well as their integration into the functional urban areas and the TEN-T network, MOVE21 built on the success of the H2020 VitalNodes Project by encouraging close cooperation between urban nodes. Through a variety of forums, training sessions, information sharing, and follow-up projects, MOVE21 actively engaged the larger community of all 88 European urban nodes (July 2021), influencing capacity building over the short and long terms. 

As “cross-roads” where several tiers of transport networks intersect in densely populated areas with significant transportation needs, urban nodes are essential to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) framework. Regional mobility is greatly improved by this integration, which promotes easier linkages and transitions between various means of moving people and products. Because additional network segments or modes can respond to the transport demand in the event that one link, hub, or mode is affected, integration also makes the network more resilient. When it comes to the effects of climate change, network stress, and potential interruptions from geopolitical events, resilience is becoming more and more important. 

With the higher-level goal of becoming resilient and climate neutral, urban nodes and the SUMP improve the alignment of transportation policy with economic, spatial, and environmental policies. The ideal place to establish cross-sectoral synergy is at the local and regional level, as this level can link these different policies. Being named an urban node may provide more funding for the execution of major, important projects. Political will, financial resources, expertise, data, and information are some examples of these resources. 

Key recommendations

• Subsidiarity in Governance – local must lead! Local leadership is essential for subsidiarity in governance! To ensure subsidiarity and democratic legitimacy, urban nodal governance systems must be in line with local governance frameworks. Differences between Member States and across Urban Nodes must be recognized and accommodated by the European Commission (EC) and Member States. Different needs and situations among the 431 nodes can be addressed by nationally and locally adapted measures, and the EC should outline requirements to establish the framework for the governance of urban nodes. Effective locally adapted governance systems may be established as a result. 

• The ability of governance to provide a Functional Urban Area SUMP and Sustainable Urban Mobility Indicators SUMI values: Three skills are necessary for Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) to have effective mobility governance: i) influence on political decision-making, ii) knowledge and proficiency in creating suitable policies, including possession or availability of data to guide planning procedures, and iii) positive relationships with stakeholders. 
• Encourage more active cooperation amongst stakeholders both horizontally, spanning sectors and disciplines, and vertically, between governance levels. Inter-sectoral (transport, environment, energy, urban planning, etc.), horizontal (between neighboring territories), and vertical (local-to-regional-to-national) collaboration are all crucial. Cross-border Functional Urban Areas require particular consideration.
• Reaching the TEN-T from the functional urban region and, particularly in SCALE-UP, the overlap area to the urban mobility domain is the main obstacle. Raising awareness is therefore crucial for policymakers in a variety of sectors and at all pertinent levels (EC, national, and local) in order to guarantee broad support across the functional urban area. 
• Establishing and operating multimodal infrastructure through governance: Governance systems should handle the intricacies of project management, transport network proficiency, and financial stability and accountability in order to ease the delivery of multimodal infrastructure.
• Integration of SUMP Priority Projects in Corridor Work Plans: To improve connection and efficiency within the transportation network, priority projects found in TEN-T relevant SUMPs should be incorporated into Corridor work plans. This makes it possible for urban nodes to participate more effectively in projects that are outside their boundaries and significantly affect transportation to and from the node. The corridor work plan should involve consultation with urban nodes. The member states are the sole parties involved in this consultation. 
• The Urban Node is essential for connecting public transport infrastructures, systems and services. The intermodal passenger hub is and will be instrumental in connecting long distance with regional and local public transport services.