The city of Lisbon will partner with the Sustainable Urban Transitions (SUT) Lab — a partnership between ETH Zurich and the Bolt Urban Fund — to develop and test innovative urban mobility solutions.

The initiative positions Lisbon as a laboratory for testing concrete interventions in public space, with the aim of improving movement throughout the city.

Testing practical changes in public space

With a data-driven, evidence-based approach, the SUT Lab will collaborate with Lisbon City Council on the design and implementation of pilot projects.

These projects will test and evaluate measures to better balance traffic, cycling and micromobility flows, public space use, pedestrian accessibility, and more. The resulting research will update the city’s current Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan.

The SUT Lab research team will combine municipal data with Bolt mobility data, simulation modelling, and user surveys.

This analysis will allow for a precise understanding of how the city functions day-to-day and enable targeted solutions to be pilot-tested with impact measured before any potential wider rollout.

Building on learnings from other cities

With prior experience in cities such as Seville and Hanover, the SUT Lab brings to Lisbon a proven data-driven approach, adapted to local urban planning needs.

Professor Dr Eva Heinen, ETH Zurich, said: “What makes this partnership distinctive is that we are not just studying the streets of Lisbon, we are testing real interventions and measuring their impact with rigour. This evidence-based approach is how cities like Lisbon can test and learn to realise their ambitions in sustainable mobility.”

Eirini Zafeiratou, VP of Policy & Regulatory at Bolt, said: “Shared mobility is growing rapidly in European cities, and that growth generates an extraordinary picture of how urban streets are actually being used in real time and at scale. We are proud to bring that data to Lisbon and to be part of a project that goes beyond research to actually test and measure change towards Cities for People. Smarter streets are better streets, and Lisbon is showing how it’s done.”

Gonçalo Reis, Vice-President of Lisbon City Council, said: “Lisbon has been establishing itself as a city of innovation applied to real needs. The partnership we have formed with ETH Zurich SUT Lab via the Bolt Urban Fund will allow us to test concrete, data- and evidence-based solutions to open more streets to people and foster integrated movement, promoting organised and efficient urban mobility.”

Lisbon partners with the Sustainable Urban Transitions Lab to develop urban mobility solutions

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