In June, we had the opportunity to visit Milan and meet with experts from organisations that are among respected partners in the field of transport planning, mobility and urban development. The aim of the working visit was to exchange proven practical experience that is also relevant for the development of mobility in eastern Slovakia, including within the OTRACON SK-UA project.
AMAT:
Managing mobility during the Olympic Games
AMAT (Agenzia Mobilità Ambiente e Territorio), the agency responsible for mobility, environment and territory in the City of Milan, provides mobility planning from the strategic level through to day-to-day operational traffic management. This gave us an opportunity to gain insight into the processes behind the functioning of one of Europe’s largest cities.
A significant part of the discussion focused on the organisation of mobility during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Colleagues from the AMAT team openly presented how the planning of transport measures, the coordination of all stakeholders involved and the implementation itself during the event had taken place. Particularly valuable were their experiences with making the best possible use of existing infrastructure, supporting public transport and preparing the city for an influx of visitors without significantly disrupting everyday life. These lessons learned are also an inspiration for organising major events in our conditions — although on a smaller scale, they often involve similar transport challenges.
TRT: Mobility and Urban Planning in a Broader Context
During our visit to Milan, we also held a professional consultation with TRT Trasporti e Territorio, a recognised consultancy company in the field of transport planning, sustainable mobility and territorial development. Their projects are implemented in many countries around the world, and this international perspective was particularly interesting for us.
We discussed methodologies for urban planning and sustainable mobility plans, the connection between transport and territorial development, as well as the use of transport models in public administration decision-making. We also presented the OTRACON SK-UA project to TRT representatives. They were particularly interested in its cross-border dimension and the effort to connect mobility planning between the European Union and Ukraine. The discussion brought several ideas and recommendations that may be useful for the further implementation of the project, as well as for future considerations regarding the restoration and development of transport links after the end of the war in Ukraine.
Inspiration for Our Further Work
The initiative to travel and share know-how once again showed the importance of exchanging experience among experts from different countries. Many of the insights we brought back from AMAT and TRT will serve as valuable inspiration for the further development of transport planning, sustainable mobility and the international projects IDS Východ is working on.
