Young Experts Boost Sustainable Urban Mobility in Šibenik

The main objective of the CLIMove Summer School was to educate participants on planning and implementing measures aimed at sustainable mobility in cities, with an emphasis on transport and spatial planning and participatory processes in urban planning. Over several intensive days, participants, with the support of mentors, combined thematic lectures, practical workshops, fieldwork, discussions with users and team development of solutions.

Šibenik served as a real learning space – a kind of outdoor classroom where ideas were immediately connected to a concrete urban context.

The first day began with introductory thematic presentations that opened up key issues related to sustainable mobility, public space, urban development and citizen involvement in planning. The participants then brainstormed in teams to envision the city of the future after which they learned about the design thinking approach and methods focused on understanding user needs through an interactive workshop. The teams then defined the areas of work, methodology and participatory methods they would use during the field research.

The second day was dedicated to communication skills and fieldwork. The workshop on public speaking, pitching and presentation skills helped participants to structure their messages more clearly, adapt them to different audiences and present their ideas more confidently. A study tour and observing different forms of movement and spatial relationships in the city and its surroundings followed.

Next two days of the summer school was dedicated to analyzing the collected data and intensive teamwork to prepare solutions and final presentations. With the support of the mentors, the participants systematized field observations, interviews, and notes, and identified key needs and problems. The emphasis was on ensuring that the solutions were clearly argued, understandable and linked to the findings of the field research.

The fifth and final day at the public event “Coastal Cities Mobility Renaissance – Insights from Young Professionals: Case Study Šibenik”, teams of young experts presented their solutions to City representatives and interested citizens:

1. Enhancing Climate Resilience of Šibenik

2. Inclusive Public Space: Rethinking the Riva, Šibenik

3. Urban Link: Šibenik’s Multimodal Hub

4. YoUlica: Living street – street as a place for all

5. Ctrl + S treets: Living street – street as a place for all

The Value of Learning by Doing

The CLIMove Summer School demonstrated the value of non-formal education based on working on real challenges and direct contact with the space and its users.

Over the course of several days, participants not only gained new knowledge about sustainable mobility and urban planning, but also developed skills in collaboration, communication, critical thinking and co-creation of solutions.

Such an approach is especially important for future professionals who will face increasingly complex challenges of cities, climate change and mobility in their work, which require cooperation between different disciplines, sectors and stakeholders.