SUMODO
Sustainable Urban MObility Development in Outskirts
- Category
- Project
- Call
- DUT Call 2022
- Duration
- –
- Project coordinator
- SAITEC SA
The SUMODO project addresses the complex challenge of planning and implementing the concept of 15-minute cities, where essential services, such as schools, health centres, parks, and shops, can be reached within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. This approach promotes more livable, resilient, and sustainable urban environments. However, one of the major barriers lies in the social acceptance of reducing private vehicle infrastructure, especially in peripheral or low-density neighbourhoods. These areas often lack sufficient services to meet the 15-minute standard.
SUMODO targets this issue by developing a realistic understanding of citizens’ mobility preferences, frequencies of travel, and accessibility needs. It seeks to bridge the gap between urban design and actual user behaviour, enabling planners to make informed decisions and ensuring proposed transformations are socially acceptable, economically viable, and environmentally sound.
To contribute toward solving these challenges, SUMODO is developing an integrated software platform that combines mobility behaviour modelling, multimodal travel planning, accessibility assessment, and multi-objective optimisation. Implemented within a Geographic Information System (GIS), the platform will allow urban planners to simulate realistic travel scenarios and test different intervention strategies in peripheral urban areas. Pilot implementations in Katowice, Veszprém, and Szeged will help validate the platform’s effectiveness by identifying neighbourhoods where POI (Point of Interest) density, travel patterns, and walkability make the 15-minute model feasible. The platform will provide tailored recommendations, such as redefining urban boundaries or relocating key services, to maximise suitability and coverage. Additionally, the project incorporates stakeholder feedback and local policy contexts, ensuring that the proposed interventions are technically sound and culturally and administratively appropriate for each city.
SUMODO is expected to deliver a powerful, flexible decision-support platform for urban planners. By simulating mobility patterns and optimising interventions, it will enable the design of 15-minute city layouts that are both efficient and context-sensitive. The tool will help identify key improvements in infrastructure, such as pedestrianisation, slow zones, or service relocations, that can be implemented with minimal economic and social cost. Expected impacts include enhanced walkability and bikeability, reduced car dependency, improved public health outcomes, and higher citizen satisfaction. The platform also fosters smarter investment in infrastructure by allowing cities to target areas with the highest potential gains. In the long term, SUMODO will support inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban transitions, contributing to broader goals like climate adaptation, social equity, and the European Green Deal. It also strengthens the capacity of local governments to plan using real-world data and multi-criteria optimisation.
Hungary
Poland
Spain
Budapesti Muszaki es Gazdasagtudomanyi Egyetem, Katowice – Miasto na Prawach Powiatu, Politechnika Slaska, Szeged Megyei Jogu Varos Onkormanyzata, Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny W Katowicach, Veszprem Megyei Jogu Varos Onkormannyzata