Elbasan's Enabling City Transformation Activity: eCIM – Elbasan Climate-Neutral Innovation in Mobility

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Elbasan

Albanian

Context and Challenges

eCIM addresses Elbasan’s rapid shift to car dependency by creating a smart mobility corridor on Aqif Pasha Boulevard. The project combines physical infrastructure (pop-up bicycle lanes, smart crossings), institutional innovation (cross-departmental collaboration, policy testing sandbox), and community engagement (university student partnerships) to demonstrate that sustainable mobility is possible. By building local capacity and generating real-time data, eCIM creates a replicable model for Balkan cities transitioning away from car-centric development.

The specific challenges: Car use doubled to 41% in a decade while walking/cycling dropped to 44%. Transport produces 31.9% of city emissions. Only 1 km of bicycle lane exists despite 1,681 km of roads. City lacks mobility data systems, technical expertise, and cross-departmental coordination to manage sustainable transport.

Objectives

  • Develop comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
  • Test 1000m temporary “pop-up” bicycle lane with real-time data
  • Install smart pedestrian crossings with air quality sensors
  • Establish Inter-departmental Task Force (40+ stakeholders)
  • Create Policy Sandbox for testing mobility regulations safely
  • Launch “Mobility Students” program with university
  • Train municipal staff in data-driven mobility planning
  • Develop public-private partnership and green procurement models

Key Terms

Smart Corridor | Policy Sandbox | Pop-Up Infrastructure | Data-Driven Governance | Community Co-Creation | Capacity Building

Activites and Innovations

  • Physical: 1000m pop-up bike lane, smart pedestrian crossing with air quality sensors, bicycle counting systems

  • Governance: Inter-departmental Task Force, Policy Sandbox for testing regulations, international study tour

  • Capacity: Municipal staff training, university student research program, Car-Free Street events

  • Financial: Public-private partnership models, green procurement guidelines

  • Data: Real-time collection system integrated with Google Maps for public access

Emission Domains

  • All vehicles and transport (mobile energy)

Levers of Change

  • Data and Digitalisation

  • Democracy and Participation

  • Financing and Funding

  • Governance and Policy

  • Learning and Capabilities

  • Procurement

  • Social Innovation

  • Technology/Infrastructure

Expected Impact and Outcomes

Short-term (within ECT project timeline):

  • Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan completed and adopted
  • Pop-up lane operational with usage data collected
  • 40+ stakeholders collaborating through Task Force
  • Real-time mobility data publicly accessible on Google Maps
  • Municipal staff trained in data-driven planning
  • University students engaged as mobility researchers

Long-term:

  • Data-driven decision-making becomes standard city practice
  • Policy Sandbox continues as permanent governance tool
  • Replicable model adopted by other Balkan cities
  • Enhanced cross-departmental collaboration citywide
  • Cultural shift toward sustainable mobility visible
  • Baseline established for tracking transport emission reductions