The NICHES+ consortium aims to continue and expand a comprehensive coordination platform for innovative urban transport solutions, building on the successful first NICHES project.

Principal aims of the project are:

• Networking opportunities: stimulate exchange between a wide range of urban transport stakeholders from all over Europe;
• Publishing effective guidance for cities: brochures including key information on how to successfully implement the selected urban transport innovations (see downloads below);
• Spreading the word: European and national events to effectively disseminate the project results and to encourage uptake of the twelve innovative concepts;
• Groundwork with cities: resources and support for 7 champion cities (see map below), helping them to develop concrete implementation plans for NICHES+ concepts.

• In-depth analysis and promotion of 12 innovative concepts in four thematic areas with the support of expert working groups (WGs):
  
  -WG1: Innovative concepts to enhance accessibility
  -WG2: Efficient planning and use of infrastructure and interchanges
  -WG3: Urban traffic management centres
  -WG4: Automated space-efficient transport systems
  
  
• Effective networking by bringing at least 500 stakeholders relevant for the uptake of innovative urban transport solutions together for personal exchange. Working group meetings, conferences and national events will provide the main platform for networking.
  
  
• Establish the success factors and conditions for transferability of the new NICHES+ concepts, and issue concrete recommendations for integration into local policies.
  
  
• Preparing for the actual take-up of innovative concepts in 7 European NICHES+ Champion Cities (see map) through the promotion of at least ten on-site visits via a study tour catalogue and other targeted promotion activities. The cities will develop implementation scenarios for innovative transport concepts in co-operation with the NICHES+ partners and external experts. Rupprecht Consult is working with the Champion City Burgos and the Champion Region Artois-Gohelle on implementing innovative accessibility measures.
  
  
• Expand the OSMOSE open source website for urban transport innovation as a comprehensive urban mobility innovation portal for local practitioners and decision makers.
  
  
• Recommendations for further research, demonstration and technical development within the EU's Framework Programmes for Research and Technical Development.
  
  
• Develop twelve "Guidelines for implementers" for local decision makers on the impact and problem solving capacity of the innovative urban transport concepts to meet key mobility challenges, also providing practical guidance on implementing the innovative transport concepts (see publications for download below).

Rupprecht Consult is technical coordinator of the NICHES+ project, eads Working Group 1 on "Innovative concepts to enhance accessibility" and coordinates the work with the Champion Cities on the implementation scenarios..

POLIS - European Cities and Regions Networking for New Transport Solutions

The NICHES+ consortium is made up of 6 partners from 4 countries (Belgium, Germany, Hungary and the UK). All partners are known as experts on innovative urban mobility policies in their countries and at the EU level.
The following types of organisations are represented in the consortium:

• City networks: Polis, EUROCITIES
• Private research and consultancy companies: Rupprecht Consult, Transman
• Universities: University of Newcastle, University of Southampton
  

Sebastian Bührmann
Tel: +49-221-60 60 55 14

Project Website
www.niches-transport.org

OSMOSE website on innovations in urban transport
www.osmose-os.org

NICHES+ developed a range of brochures to enhance the development and uptake of urban transport innovation, which can be downloaded here:

• Innovative Urban Transport Concepts - Overview document in English, German, Polish, Spanish and French

• Guidelines for implementers on each of the examined 12 innovative concepts - in English: