On 20 May, the National Mobility Congress 2026 took place at the Agora Theater in Lelystad. This year’s event was organized under the theme “Moving Forward Together,” with the Province of Flevoland as host. The congress brought together more than 200 mobility professionals — from municipal policymakers and aldermen to researchers and consultants — to work on concrete solutions for the mobility challenges of today and tomorrow.
Erasmus UPT was well represented and contributed to two thought-provoking discussions that address the core of current issues: the role of the car in area development and the use of technology for road safety.
The car is not disappearing from area development
Giuliano Mingardo defended the position that the car is not disappearing from area development, at least for now. Despite strong policy efforts focused on sustainability, shared mobility, and public transport, research shows that car use is deeply intertwined with how people live, work, and organize their daily lives — especially outside major urban centers. In area development, it therefore remains essential to be realistic about the mobility needs of future residents and users, and not to plan the car out entirely, but to integrate it smartly within a broader mobility system.
Experiments with digital speed control as a step towards Vision Zero
Together with Sweco, the Municipality of Amsterdam, and EIT Urban Mobility, Sander Buningh made an urgent appeal to policymakers and road authorities: start experimenting now with digital speed control for motorized traffic. From the Vision Zero perspective — which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries — digital speed enforcement offers a tool where physical measures, enforcement, or campaigns fall short. By automatically adapting vehicle speeds to the surrounding environment through in-vehicle technology, risk situations can be structurally reduced. The joint message was clear: do not wait for perfect regulations or full-scale implementation (by vehicle manufacturers), but start learning now through real-world pilot projects in public space.
Would you like to learn more about Erasmus UPT’s research in urban mobility, road safety, and area development? Visit www.eur.nl/upt for more information or contact mingardo@ese.eur.nl and buningh@ese.eur.nl directly.
