ACUTE - Accessibility and Connectivity knowledge hub for Urban Transformation in Europe
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Westminster
Department Name: Sch of Architecture & Cities
Abstract
The ACUTE project aims at establishing a Knowledge Hub for ENUAC that enables exchange within the field of urban accessibility and connectivity. The purpose is to overcome the fragmentation of findings, experiences, competencies and results. ACUTE addresses the challenges of sustainable urban passenger mobility, freight transport, connectivity and accessibility as an integral and essential part of sustainable urban development. ACUTE aims to create a space for stakeholder exchange and co-creation. It provides an inclusive environment for urban actors with diverse backgrounds (researchers, practitioners, public administrators, entrepreneurs, social innovators, etc.) to discuss current themes and priorities and identify the most pressing urban challenges of today and the future. ACUTE will support ENUAC-funded projects and enable cross-project cooperation. Also, it will extract, consolidate and synthesise knowledge from these projects and provide it to other stakeholders and projects. Further, it will initiate efforts to support practitioners and the mainstreaming of research results and provide strategic support for the future Horizon Europe Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) programme.
Publications

Boussauw K
(2023)
Car Dependency and Urban Form
in Urban Planning

Liu Q
(2023)
Is It Possible to Compete With Car Use? How Buses Can Facilitate Sustainable Transport
in Urban Planning

Papa E
(2023)
Mapping of 15-minute City practice in European Cities


Teixeira J
(2024)
Classifying 15-minute Cities: A review of worldwide practices
in Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
Description | Preliminary findings for the ACUTE project have been used in two ways: an exercise mapping the network of 15 projects EU-funded projects on accessibility and connectivity and a brief cross-analysis of links and overlaps between different reported project outputs, with a specific focus on project impacts and applications in real-life settings. Insights from the expert's interviews have resulted in notable impacts such as improved decision-making, enhanced research capabilities, innovation, collaboration, and policy development. |
First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
Sector | Environment,Transport |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | The influence of Enrica Papa, Associate Professor at the University of Westminster, on the London Assembly Planning and Regeneration Committee's investigation into the 15-minute city concept has had impacts on urban policy and planning practices. |
URL | https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-london-assembly-does/london-assembly-press-releases/london... |
Description | London Councils - Low Carbon Transport Programme |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | London's 32 boroughs and the City of London are taking action to be the solution to climate change. Many boroughs have declared a climate emergency, and all will be making changes in their own local areas through climate action plans. They are also working together in our seven collaborative climate programmes to share best practices, join up activity, and grasp economies of scale. From tackling carbon emissions from motor vehicles to building local green economies, and sourcing and creating sustainable energy, local government is an essential partner in delivering the transition to net-zero. Councils have a unique understanding of their local context and strong local relationships, allowing them to deliver this work effectively. This is important work. We have already seen the growing impact of extreme weather events in London. From our annual polling, we know that Londoners across the city and in all demographic groups are motivated to tackle climate change and want to see action. The purpose of this action plan is to set a pathway to achieve the ambition set out in London Councils' Joint Statement on Climate Change. The Low Carbon Transport ambition is to halve road journeys made by petrol and diesel from 2019 to 2030 via combined measures that can restrict polluting journeys and incentivise sustainable and active travel options. The ambition provides the opportunity to deliver and quantify actions that help record performance of greenhouse gas emissions for individual boroughs' Climate Emergency Action Plans and to promote strategies, schemes and projects to this end. The action plan has been developed collaboratively by London boroughs, with support from London Councils, the London Technical Advisers Group (LOTAG), Transport for London (TfL), the London Environment Directors' Network (LEDNet), the Greater London Authority (GLA), and other key stakeholders. The Low Carbon Transport Programme (LCTP) Steering Group, led jointly by Royal Borough of Kingston Council and Westminster City Council, has adopted this plan, and progress will be reported back to London Councils' Transport and Environment Committee (TEC) on at least a six-monthly basis. This plan is designed to support all boroughs to achieve the headline ambition, whilst recognising that requirements and resourcing will vary from borough to borough. |
URL | https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/our-key-themes/climate-change |
Description | A+C Enrica Papa CONFERENCE + NETWORKING FUND |
Amount | £642 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Westminster |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2023 |
End | 06/2023 |
Description | A+C Enrica Papa PUBLIC OR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT EVENTS |
Amount | £340 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Westminster |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2023 |
End | 03/2023 |
Description | COMMONing ACCESSibility in urban outskirts and beyond |
Amount | € 1,462,966 (EUR) |
Funding ID | ES/Y010590/1 |
Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2024 |
End | 12/2026 |
Description | Conference Attendance & Research Networking |
Amount | £800 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Westminster |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2024 |
End | 07/2024 |
Description | Enrica Papa Conference attendance travel fund |
Amount | £800 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Westminster |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2022 |
End | 06/2022 |
Description | Interns fund 2021-2022 |
Amount | £2,993 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Westminster |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2022 |
End | 09/2022 |
Description | Interns fund 2022-23 |
Amount | £8,978 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Westminster |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 12/2022 |
End | 04/2023 |
Description | JUST STREET (Horizon Europe Transport Project 101104240) |
Amount | € 11,372,218 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 101104240 |
Organisation | European Commission H2020 |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 01/2024 |
End | 07/2026 |
Description | Seed Grant |
Amount | £2,200 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Westminster |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2024 |
End | 07/2024 |
Description | UKRI Participatory research funding |
Amount | £4,588 (GBP) |
Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2022 |
End | 06/2022 |
Title | ACUTE project Coordinators and Stakeholders interviews |
Description | For each of the 15 funded ENUAC projects, expert interviews have been recorded and gathered. These interviews provide valuable insights into how the projects have managed to enhance their impacts and the role of stakeholders in their success. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | The development of this research dataset, database, or model has resulted in notable impacts such as improved decision-making, enhanced research capabilities, innovation, collaboration, and policy development. |
Title | ACUTE projects mapping survey |
Description | The output of the ACUTE projects mapping survey is a comprehensive database that synthesizes information related to urban accessibility and connectivity. This database incorporates data gathered from the 15 ongoing ERA-NET Urban Accessibility and Connectivity (EN-UAC) projects, providing insights into the scope, methodologies, and findings of each. The survey also maps additional research projects on the same topic, establishing a broader repository for potential cross-project cooperation among practitioners. Furthermore, the output identifies research questions and topics for future development in the field. This structured and consolidated database serves as a valuable resource for the ACUTE research team, aiding them in achieving their goals of knowledge extraction, cross-project collaboration, and future research planning. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The University of Westminster, leading and managing the survey, utilizes the responses to inform academic research purposes, ensuring that the information contributes to the advancement of understanding and practices in urban transformation. |
Description | Collaboration with Polytechnic University of Bari - Vising Professor Enrica Papa |
Organisation | Polytechnic University of Bari |
Country | Italy |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The teaching and research activities with prof. Laura Grassini and prof. Angela Barbanente included: 1. A series of lectures in the Course Rigenerazione Urbana e Territoriale, Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Ingegneria dei Sistemi Edilizi and for the course Pianificazione Territoriale e Ambientale, Corso di Laurea Magistrale in Ingegneria per l'Ambiente e il Territorio. Lectures will be on sustainable mobility, urban renewal, sustainable transitions, accessibility planning, and street experiments. The lecture will be finalised to an application in the San Paolo neighbourhood in Bari, following the agreement between the DICATECh department of the University of Bari, the Political Sciences department of the University of Bari and the III Municipio of the city of Bari, 2. Workshops series, with the involvement of graduating students and PhD students of the University of Westminster and students of the Laurea Magistrale in Ingegneria dei Sistemi Edilizi and PhD students of the DICATECh department, with the scope of creating research synergies and exchange experiences among early career researchers. 3. Development of a research programme to be developed among the University of Westminster and the University of Bari, on urban renewal and sustainable accessibility, also within the JPI-funded research project EXperimenting with City Streets to TRAnsform Urban Mobility - EX-TRA. 4. Discussions and suggestions about enlarging the international networks, particularly within the AESOP Association of European Schools of Planning. |
Collaborator Contribution | 1. Contribution to the development of seminars 2. Creation of a network with local stakeholders |
Impact | 1. Workshops series, with the involvement of graduating students and PhD students of the University of Westminster and students of the Laurea Magistrale in Ingegneria dei Sistemi Edilizi and PhD students of the DICATECh department, with the scope of creating research synergies and exchange experiences among early career researchers. 2. Research proposals to be submitted to the following DUT calls |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Collaborative classes with the Polytechnic of Milan |
Organisation | Polytechnic University of Milan |
Country | Italy |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Collaborative classes between the University of Westminster and the Polytechnic of Milan |
Collaborator Contribution | Collaborative classes between the University of Westminster and the Polytechnic of Milan |
Impact | Multidisciplinary |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | ACUTE Kick off Meeting Wien January 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Enrica Papa joined the kick-off meeting of the ACUTE project, which was held in Wien in January 2023. The meeting also included site visits and workshops with local planners |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | ACUTE Research Seminar at University of Westminster |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presentation of ACUTE project within the University of Westminster Research Seminar series, in November 2023. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | ACUTE consortium meeting and workshop in Malmo and Lund |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The 2-day event held in Malmo and Lund in November 2023 involved meeting consortium partners as well as exchanging with policymakers and practitioners from Sweden. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Brighton College Prep Kensington School Talk Enrica Papa |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Enrica Papa gave a talk on sustainable mobility and transport planning to the students of Brighton College Prep Kensington School. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
Description | Conference panel presentation at Casablanca Smart City Symposium |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I was a panelist at the Casablanca Smart City Symposium that took place between 7-8 June 2023. The event gathered non-academic stakeholders including policymakers and practitioners, and the panel generated considerable debate about sustainable urban transitions and urban innovation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Deliberative Workshop 'Urban transport in the context of climate change' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Dr Enrica Papa gave a public talk in the context of the Climate Change workshop organised by Sense about Science, an independent charity that promotes the public interest in sound science and evidence. The deliberative workshop is part of a wider project looking at interactions between the public and experts around climate change. The workshop was held in collaboration with King's College London for members of the public to learn about climate change and local transport. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://peritia-trust.eu/first-of-deliberative-workshop-series-held-in-london/ |
Description | DfT Connectivity Tool and Carbon Impact Module - workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Enrica Papa participated in March 2024 to the online 'consensus-building' workshop with 30 stakeholders from national and local government alongside academia and other related industry stakeholders, where some of the outputs of our engagement so far will be shared- contributing to the definition of use cases for the Carbon Module within the connectivity tool, alongside some associated prospective functions and features of the module itself. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
Description | Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, invited talk September 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Dr Enrica Papa was a speaker at the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport in September 2023. This Congress has brought together more than 500 experts in the field of Self-driving technology to enhance and accelerate the adoption of Self-Driving Technology globally and contribute to the realization of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make 25% of all trips in Dubai smart and driverless by 2030. RTA is organizing Dubai World Congress for Self Driving Transport Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, which is a global platform in the field of self-driving mobility, that brings together top experts, policymakers, technology developers, researchers and academia, Global leaders of technology and innovation will exchange ideas and proposals about connected autonomous vehicles. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://sdcongress.com/ |
Description | ENUAC Joint Meeting in Bucharest |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | In a 2-day event held in May 2023, researchers and stakeholders from a total of 28 projects funded in the ENUAC call met Bucharest to present their projects and exchange with international stakeholders including EU funders, industry partners, and policymakers. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | ERA-NET Cofund Urban Accessibility and Connectivity (ENUAC): Kick-off and midterm event in Bucharest May 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Enrica Papa and Sabina Cioboata participated at the ERA-NET Cofund Urban Accessibility and Connectivity (ENUAC), a hybrid meeting in Bucharest to present their projects and share insight on challenges related to sustainable urban passenger mobility, freight, transport and connectivity as integral and essential parts of sustainable urban development. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://jpi-urbaneurope.eu/news/era-net-cofund-urban-accessibility-and-connectivity-enuac-kick-off-a... |
Description | Enrica Papa as discussant to the annual lecture by Carlos Moreno - "Urban Futures - the proximity revolution." |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Dr Enrica Papa acted as discussant to Professor Carlos Moreno, creator of the concept of the 15-minute city, TSU's inaugural Annual Lecture at the University of Oxford, as part of the TSU seminar series. His lecture focused on the 15-minute city concept, a groundbreaking approach in urban planning aiming to create urban environments where all essential needs are met within a short perimeter on foot, bike ride and decarbonized mobilities. The talk allowed members of the audience to ask him questions and challenge his views. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
URL | https://www.tsu.ox.ac.uk/event/urban-futures-proximity-revolution-introduction-15-minute-city-concep... |
Description | Knowldege Hub Accessibility and Connectivity invited talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Dr Enrica Papa presented the Extra project at an international online meeting with almost 50 participants from all European Countier involved in ENUAC funded research projects. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Local Transport Summit 2023 Sheffield October 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Enrica Papa participated at The Local Transport Summit 2023. The event is a 24-hour residential 'Chatham House Rules' discussion in a relaxed environment which brings together in a unique way senior people involved in UK local transport from a range of perspectives including political leaders and decision-makers, those responsible for strategy, system design and delivery within transport authorities, and others with a connection to the future of our local transport system as providers, advisors, researchers and activists. The event has the active and support and engagement of the Department for Transport, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and other significant professional bodies. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.transportxtra.com/tx-events/2694/local-transport-summit-2023 |
Description | MORE Exhibition at the University of Westminster 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | MORE Exhibition 2023 was held at the Univesity of Westminster in September 2023. It provided a space for showcasing best examples of research projects and students' works to a broader public. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Master Class Polytechnic University of Bari, January 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Dr Enrica Papa gave a Master Class to the Postgraduate Students of the Master at the Polytechnic University of Bari, presenting the outputs of the projects |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | University Transport Study Group UTSG Sponsors Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | UTSG sponsors meeting is an annual event promoting interactions between key transport stakeholders and the academic community delivering transport research. The event took place on Wednesday, 8th March 2023 from 14.00 to 18.00 and Dr Enrica Papa gave a talk on the research project |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://utsg.net/ |
Description | UoW research Seminar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | In the seminar, members of the EXTRA research project presented their research on parklets and school streets in the London Boroughs of Lambeth and Redbridge. They will discuss preliminary results on how local people use, perceive and experience street changes. 31 October 2022, 13.00 - 14.00 M416, 35 Marylebone Rd, NW1 5LS, London + Online |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | UoW's Public and Community Engagement Celebration 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | UoW's Public and Community Engagement is an event to celebrate the University of Westminster's Public and Community Engagement and its role as a civic university. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |