Urban displacement

Sustainable mobility is growing in Italy, but a cultural push is needed

Sharing virtuous models in cities is essential: the Urban Award returns, which has rewarded the most innovative projects since 2017

13 October 2025

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Eight out of ten Italians consider it important to travel by alternative forms of mobility, and 38% identify the electric car as the vehicle of the future. However, more than three quarters of Italians continue to travel mostly by car, a sign that the path to more sustainable mobility is still a long one.

On the other hand, the index of sustainable mobility of Italians - which monitors the evolution of their travel habits - stands this year at a level of 66 out of a hundred, not far above sufficient. The value is transversal to the different targets, with slight differences: more sustainable are women (67%), young people between 18 and 34 (68%) and residents in towns with more than 30,000 inhabitants. The figure confirms that, compared to other European countries where sustainable mobility is now assimilated by the population, Italy still has significant margins for growth.

The survey on sustainable mobility carried out by the Piepoli Institute and presented at the Eco Festival in September confirms the weight that the car still carries for Italians today: more than nine out of ten use it at least once a week and two thirds say they cannot do without it. Only 19% make regular use of public transport. Six out of ten citizens, however, believe that there are alternatives to the car in their area.

Even as far as cars are concerned, habits are struggling to evolve in a more sustainable direction. Only 10% of respondents say they intend to buy an electric vehicle in the next twelve months, while 59% rule out interest: high prices, shortcomings in recharging infrastructure and limited autonomy remain the main factors holding back the adoption of electric cars.

Encouraging results also emerge on the use of rail transport: almost one third of Italians use it regularly and almost half rate the integration with other means of transport positively, although they call for greater accessibility of stations, better coordination of timetables and unified ticketing systems. According to those interviewed, more incisive economic support and an expansion of the public transport network remain the key levers for stimulating a real change in mobility habits. Only one Italian in three considers the incentives currently available to be sufficient.

In this scenario, it is becoming increasingly important to increase citizens' propensity to the benefits of a mobility that is more respectful of the territory and of people, through a collective effort to develop education for a change in citizens' travel habits that highlights the positive repercussions for all players, for the economy and for the country. This is a path that also passes through the recognition and dissemination of the most virtuous models at the territory level that facilitate a more sustainable mobility.

This is precisely the intention of the Urban Award, the prize that since 2017 has aimed to valorise administrations capable of introducing innovative cycling, integrated transport and soft mobility projects, and that this year too will select the country's most virtuous sustainable mobility experiences.

Now in its ninth edition, the award was created on the initiative of Ludovica Casellati, director of Viagginbici.com and Luxurybikehotels.com, and promoted together with Anci. Over the years, it has become a point of reference for recounting and disseminating local experiences capable of concretely affecting the quality of urban life, becoming a thermometer of the progress made by municipalities, through which the state of sustainable mobility in Italy can be concretely measured.

Involving all areas of the country, the award has sparked a virtuous competition between administrations, bringing to the fore projects that have become replicable models: from Pesaro's Bicipolitana to Segrate's Ciclobus, to Genoa's Smart Move plan. And it has thus contributed not only to the dissemination of these experiences, but also to increasing the sensitivity of local administrations and companies towards a culture of soft and sustainable mobility

Nominations will remain open until 30 October, and the award will be presented in Bologna at the Anci National Assembly in November.