Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans and active mobility. An assessment through the lens of justice

Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) are strategic spatial planning tools to address urban mobility needs. The European Commission encourages member states to develop SUMPs to improve quality of life through collaboration with authorities at multiple levels. SUMPs aim to make non-motorised transport safe and accessible, encouraging a shift toward sustainable and active mobility. Within this context, a justice framework offers a valuable lens to assess how fairly resources for active mobility are distributed and accessed. Although active mobility is often linked to mobility justice, the integration of justice dimensions, e.g. distributional, procedural, recognitional, and restorative, is not always ensured in SUMPs. This paper examines how SUMPs address active mobility through the lens of justice, focusing on distributional and procedural justice, in eight European JUST STREETS pilot cities. It assesses to what extent SUMPs prioritise walking and cycling and how street space allocation and participatory processes reflect fairness and inclusivity. The analysis highlights the potential and limitations of SUMPs in advancing mobility justice, identifies gaps in how justice dimensions in walking and cycling are incorporated. It also provides practical recommendations to enhance active mobility strategies. These insights support cities in developing their SUMPs towards more equitable and climate neutral mobility systems.