Mayors from 30 of the world's biggest cities will be invited to attend the upcoming UITP World Congress & Exhibition in Milan, in a move aiming to highlight both the economic value of efficient urban public transport and the growing influence of local decision makers.
The joint initiative by UITP (International Association of Public Transport) and the Mayor of Milan, is a bid to strengthen dialogue between local decision makers from around the world and the global public transport community, but also reflects the strong focus on cities at the forthcoming World Congress.
The mayors will be offered a dedicated programme, including a ‘Mayors’ Roundtable’ where they will share their experience in allying mobility with urban development goals. They will also participate in the Plenary Session ‘Public transport sector strategy towards 2025,’ which will highlight the policies that are leading the way to meeting the sector goal of doubling public transport’s market share worldwide by 2025.
The mayors will be joined in Milan by a line-up of speakers that includes urban leaders ranging from CEOs of public transport operators and authorities to transport ministers and academics who will share their vision for the sector. Carlo Ratti, a renowned architect and MIT professor will give the keynote speech on the future role of public transport in the context of rapidly advancing technologies and new market entrants on the urban mobility scene.
“Milan has several assets and strengths to welcome the world of public transport in June,” said UITP Secretary General Alain Flausch. “Public transport implies a strong collaboration between politicians and operators and we are very much looking forward to the involvement of some of the world’s most renowned mayors and urban leaders at the UITP World Congress & Exhibition”.
