Report

Transnational Evaluation Report of BATS -project's Piloting Activities

Miloš N. Mladenović, Isabel Scherer, Lukas Junghanns, Konrad Biszko, Anne Põder · 2026

Summary

The Transnational Evaluation Report of Piloting Activities examines the development, testing and refinement of three interconnected planning tools created within the BATS project: the Diagnostics-Interventions Toolkit, the Monitoring Guide and the Citizen Activation Guide. Prepared by researchers from Aalto University, Gdańsk University of Technology and Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), the report draws on collaboration with seven municipalities and regional partners across the Baltic Sea Region. The evaluation describes how the tools were developed through literature reviews, interviews, questionnaires, co-design workshops, prototype testing and iterative feedback from municipal practitioners. The tools were tested alongside local year-round active mobility experiments addressing infrastructure, traffic management, winter maintenance and citizen activation in Hamburg, Umeå, Gdynia, Kalundborg, Harju County, Porvoo and Klaipėda. The report examines how practitioner feedback influenced the structure, usability and practical relevance of each tool. It highlights differences in municipal capabilities, data availability, planning cultures and organisational needs, demonstrating why a common transnational framework must remain adaptable to local circumstances. Key lessons include the importance of involving practitioners throughout tool development, integrating tool testing into pilot planning from the beginning, and using short feedback cycles to refine methods. The evaluation also emphasises that tools must be clear, visually accessible and directly applicable to everyday municipal work, with practical templates, checklists and examples rather than unnecessary methodological complexity. Beyond individual tools, the report identifies organisational learning as a central requirement for improving year-round active mobility planning. It argues that cities need to strengthen their capabilities in communicative planning, user-centred design, strategic monitoring and cross-departmental collaboration, while addressing institutional barriers such as fragmented responsibilities, limited resources and insufficient implementation commitment. The publication is particularly relevant for municipalities, researchers and project coordinators developing practical planning tools through international cooperation. It provides transferable lessons on co-creation, pilot-based tool development, institutional capacity building and the translation of research-based methods into usable municipal planning practices.

Topics

Maintenance & Operations Data & Monitoring Behaviour & Mobility Management Policy, Strategy & Governance

Target audience

Policy makers Urban planners Promoters & advocates

Mode

Walking Cycling Wheeling

Conditions