New Pre-Study: SAFER Cities – for safer and more sustainable urban living
How can we make our cities both safer and more sustainable? That’s the starting point for the new pre-study project SAFER Cities, where researchers and public sector actors join forces to explore how traffic safety can become an integrated part of the sustainable transformation of cities and regional transport systems.
Traffic safety as a key to sustainable cities
Municipalities and regions are at the forefront of shaping tomorrow’s transport systems – as planners, employers, road managers and procurers. But in the complex landscape of climate targets, air quality, public health, inclusion and urban development, traffic safety can easily fall off the radar.
SAFER Cities wants to change that.
“Our goal is to create a long-term collaboration platform between traffic safety researchers and societal stakeholders,” says Ines Heinig, project manager in SAFER’s operational team. “By identifying real needs and challenges in municipalities and regions, we can steer research toward relevant questions and support smarter, evidence-based decisions.”
Bridging research and real-life decisions
This pre-study explores what kind of support, cooperation and knowledge transfer is needed to help municipalities and regions integrate traffic safety more effectively into their sustainability work. Key focus areas include:
- How traffic safety can be embedded in public procurement, workplace safety and climate strategies
- How research can be made more usable for professionals, consultants and local authorities
- How behavioural change and acceptance can support a shift toward safer, more sustainable mobility
The project will also propose a model for how a future SAFER Cities platform could be structured, funded and used – to become a long-term support system for those shaping everyday transport environments.
Examples of future activities under SAFER Cities:
- Field visits and workshops between researchers and local governments
- Pilot testing of research-based solutions in real-world settings
- Knowledge sharing via events, training sessions and a digital question box for municipalities
- Strategic collaboration with SKR (Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions), the Swedish Transport Administration, NTF and others
Short facts
- Partners: SAFER (operational team), Lund University and the City of Gothenburg
- Project period: August 2025 – March 2026
- Funded by: Skyltfonden (the Swedish Transport Administration)
