Preface to the polisMOBILITY study

Mobility is a crucial aspect of our modern society. It guarantees prosperity, participation and economic development. This is something we are especially aware of in Cologne: For millennia, we have been at the intersection of trade routes, and this has paved the way for our city’s rise. As a consequence, we citizens of Cologne have been and are open towards all innovations in mobility: steamboats, Zeppelins, aeroplanes, cars – and today connected and climate-neutral mobility.

The expectations of the transport transition are rightly high because it represents an immense opportunity. It does not take anything away from us. Instead, it gives us the scope to create: to create new industries, new business models and new forms of urban life. For me and Cologne’s municipal administration, it represents a transformation from a car-centric to a human-scale city. As we undertake this transition, I have clear goals in sight: better public spaces, zero-emissions transport, priority for public and active mobility and rebuilding Cologne as a smart city. Efficient commercial transport plays just as an important role in this as convenient alternatives to private cars do.

The transport transition is gathering speed, and I want to accelerate its development in Cologne even further. We can succeed in this by working together with our strong regional economy. Cologne’s automotive industry is committed to joining us on the path to zero-emissions alternatives. New start-ups are emerging, established companies are developing new mobility services, and energy suppliers are acting as the link between electromobility and renewable energies. The Rhineland is transforming into a hydrogen region. We are working on water buses, on demand on-demand public transport and cable car systems, and we are remapping the Cologne rail hub. Cologne’s spirit of innovation is on the move – and it is mobile in more ways than ever before!

polisMOBILITY will contribute significantly to putting the solutions we need for sustainable mobility on the streets. Cologne is going a step further: We want to amplify the force of the mobility transition by involving the whole city and inspiring all the citizens of Cologne – because we know that such a rapid social, spatial and technological transformation can succeed only if we take the people with us and clearly show them the added value for their daily lives by demonstrating it in Cologne’s living lab. The entire City of Cologne will be transformed into polisMOBILITY – into a forum for innovative urban mobility where we can test how the mobility transition can succeed globally in real conditions.

I am looking forward to Cologne setting the pace for smart mobility in the 21st century from 2022 with polisMOBILITY.

Warm regards,
Henriette Reker
Mayor of the City of Cologne