We fell in love again, yesterday. After 3 years of passionate research on making the digital transport system more inclusive, we were love-struck by the beauty of sharing our findings and discussing the synergies with our ‘sister’ projects, INDIMO project and TRIPS, with whom we shared the final conference stage (and the challenges).
Our first thank you is for CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) who ‘bought’ us all tickets for this Horizon2020-sponsored journey and warmed out hearts through Anca Pasca’s words: although the majority of EU transport-related funds are devoted to technology-driven projects, socio-economic aspects of transportation and insights coming from the humanities and social sciences must have a privileged place.
The ‘human’ dimension of transport technology was also stressed by our inspired moderator, Pedro Homem de Gouveia, who kept us all smiling and considered how digital aspects of transport can only work if the physical experience works as well!
Our project coordinator, Silvia Gaggi (ISINNOVA), reminded us that DIGNITY was never just an acronym, but the very concept powering the project: ensuring everyone is able to travel with ‘dignity’, regardless of digital skills, income level, education, physical impairments, race or gender!
This overwhelming feeling of purpose partly heals the broken heart for the ‘formal’ end of this amazing project that has taken us around Europe. We have walked the streets with transport users (and non-users!), crouched behind the scenes with digital mobility providers and sat with regional transport operators.
Time to make sure our research, including tools for framing and bridging the digital gap in mobility, reaches transport policymakers and actors in charge of facilitating digital transitions.
We are grateful for our DIGNITY team of:
– academic partners (University of Cambridge, Breda University of Applied Sciences, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya and IZT – Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment), unrelentless sources of knowledge;
– mobility innovation specialists (ISINNOVA, FACTUAL, Mobiel 21), always engaging us with their strategic vision;
– pilots (Barcelona Regional, Gemeente Tilburg, Departement Mobiliteit en Openbare Werken, Comune di Ancona and Conerobus), who kept their contagious energy flowing;
– digital mobility providers (Nextbike and myCicero ), with their open-minded approach.
Browse the DIGNITY website to:
⚙ access tools and methodological guides developed,
🔎 browse our online catalogue of the most inclusive digital mobility solutions,
✅ check out policy recommendations for inclusive transport regulations,
💡 find our guidelines for inclusive design of mobility services.
