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ReportCore resource
Year-Round Active Mobility: Insights into Mobility Management Approaches
Ida Lundström, Josefine Wigström, Naomi Zerai, Zein Anani, Camilla Sandberg, Dennis Martínez-Moro, Juliette Ténart · 2026 · Baltic Sea Region
Year-Round Active Mobility: Insights into Mobility Management Approaches is a collection of eight thematic insight sheets developed by Umeå Municipality and Bax Innovation within the BATS project. The publication explores practical approaches to making walking and cycling safer, more accessible and more attractive throughout the year, particularly during periods of snow, ice, darkness and challenging weather conditions. The insight sheets cover winter maintenance, citizen participation in monitoring maintenance quality, intelligent transport systems, projected traffic signage, perceived security in dark environments, campaigns in educational institutions and services supporting year-round cycling. Concrete examples from BATS partner cities include Winter Scouts and Winter Agents programmes in Umeå and Porvoo, where residents help monitor winter maintenance conditions; weather-adaptive traffic signal control in Gdynia; Gobo light projections in Umeå and Hamburg-Altona to improve visibility and guidance; and solar-powered lighting solutions for cycling routes in Kalundborg. Other examples include winter e-bike lending, winter tyre services, secure bicycle storage and school-based campaigns encouraging active mobility. Each thematic sheet combines an introduction to the approach with practical implementation examples, considerations and lessons learned. The sheets are designed to be used independently or together as planning and workshop materials. The publication serves as a practical reference and source of transferable ideas for municipalities, transport planners and mobility practitioners. It illustrates how different cities have tested solutions to seasonal mobility challenges, while recognising that the examples do not necessarily provide conclusive evidence of long-term effectiveness or represent entirely new innovations.
- Planning & Design
- Maintenance & Operations
- Data & Monitoring
- Behaviour & Mobility Management
- Communication & Engagement
- Health, Safety & Wellbeing
GuidelineCore resource
Fix the maintenance - Promoting the safety of year-round bicycle and pedestrian route usage in Finnish cities
Timo Perälä, Matti Hirvonen, Martti Tulenheimo, Pekka Tahkola · 2024 · Finland
A practical guide for Finnish municipalities on improving year-round maintenance of walking and cycling infrastructure. It highlights the safety, health and economic benefits of high-quality winter maintenance and provides recommendations for winter-resilient infrastructure design, maintenance prioritisation, service procurement, quality management and winter maintenance methods.
- Maintenance & Operations
- Health, Safety & Wellbeing
GuidelineCore resource
Snow Space Guide – guidelines for a better winter
Eeva Huuhtanen, Timo Perälä · 2024 · Finland
A comprehensive guide to handling snow and dimensioning snow storage space in the urban environment. It explains why year-round planning matters and how it supports municipalities' strategic goals, and walks through every stage of the built-environment process, from legislation and strategic planning to street-space supervision. Intended for commissioners, planners, builders and maintenance operators in both the public and private sectors.
- Planning & Design
- Maintenance & Operations
- Policy, Strategy & Governance
ReportStrategyMethodCore resource
Winter maintenance strategy and implementation study and tracking, Minneapolis
City of Minneapolis, Department of Public Works · 2024 · United States
The City of Minneapolis' 2024 Winter Walking and Biking Study evaluates winter maintenance policies, operational responsibilities, costs and opportunities to improve pedestrian accessibility and year-round cycling through 2030. It presents eight recommended actions for winter walking and five for winter cycling, including four sidewalk assistance pilots supported by a $595,000 budget allocation. The proposals address snow clearance, support for older residents and people with limited mobility, targeted maintenance services, improved cycling route maintenance and public information on snow-clearing operations. A particularly valuable feature is the city's publicly accessible Transportation Action Plan progress tracking system, which connects strategic objectives to individual actions, implementation schedules, status updates and documented milestones. This allows residents, practitioners and decision-makers to follow how winter mobility policies are translated into operational improvements. The online monitoring system documents continued implementation beyond the original study. For winter 2025–2026, Minneapolis funded four sidewalk snow and ice removal pilots, building on the previous season's experiments. Participation in the neighborhood snow patrol pilot increased from four neighborhoods in 2024–2025 to eight in 2025–2026. Other publicly reported measures include revised sidewalk enforcement fees, improved complaint-handling procedures and ongoing accessibility improvements. Link: https://go.minneapolismn.gov/final-plan/walking/strategy-4 Together, the study and its public implementation tracking offer a practical example of evidence-informed winter mobility governance, combining costed interventions, pilot programmes, measurable milestones and transparent reporting. The tracking system documents implementation progress, although it does not by itself establish the effects of these measures on walking and cycling activity or safety.
- Planning & Design
- Maintenance & Operations
- Policy, Strategy & Governance
ToolkitCore resource
Winter Cities Toolkit
8 80 Cities · 2021 · Canada, United States
An online toolkit developed through the Wintermission programme, providing practical resources for creating inclusive, active and welcoming public spaces during winter. It includes community engagement methods, winter life surveys, action planning worksheets, snow management policy examples and winter city strategies, drawing on experiences from three US cities.
- Planning & Design
- Behaviour & Mobility Management
- Communication & Engagement
- Policy, Strategy & Governance
ResearchMethod
A Seasonal Study of the Spatial Quality of Cold Streets Based on Activity Portrait Indexes (APIs)
Yang Ye, Yi Huang, Sitong Yang, Wenshu Lou, Tong Li, Xin Tang, Hangjian Yu · 2026 · China
This study develops an Activity Portrait Index (API) framework to assess the seasonal quality of urban streets in Harbin, China, a city with extremely cold winters. Based on observations of 37 street segments, the method evaluates pedestrian activity levels, diversity of activities and the demographic diversity of street users across different seasons. The findings highlight how the qualities that support street activity change throughout the year: wind protection, thermal comfort and connections between indoor and outdoor spaces become particularly important in winter, while greenery, ventilation and opportunities for outdoor staying gain importance during warmer periods. The study provides an evidence-based approach for evaluating and designing streets that remain attractive, accessible and socially active throughout the year.
- Planning & Design
- Data & Monitoring
- Health, Safety & Wellbeing
Research
Aging in experimental places: A case study on seasonal street transformations with older adults in Verdun, Montréal
Aryana Soliz, Meredith Alousi-Jones, Ahmed El-Geneidy · 2026 · Canada
This research article examines how seasonal pedestrianization and car-free street initiatives affect older adults, focusing on Wellington Street in the Verdun neighbourhood of Montréal, Canada. Using in-depth interviews with older adults and an analysis of urban policies, the study explores the opportunities and challenges associated with transforming streets into pedestrian-oriented public spaces. Particular attention is given to accessibility, social inclusion, seasonal conditions and the ability of older residents to age in place. The findings highlight tensions between the objectives of sustainable urban mobility and the diverse needs of an aging population. Although Montréal's policies promote pedestrianization, universal accessibility and age-friendly environments, the study identifies gaps in the geographical and seasonal coverage of interventions and in the monitoring of their outcomes. Older adults' experiences are shaped by accessibility challenges, seasonal constraints, opportunities for social interaction and their involvement in local decision-making. The study also examines the implications of proposals to transform Wellington Street from a seasonal pedestrian zone into a permanently car-free street. The research demonstrates the importance of incorporating older adults' perspectives into street design, pedestrianization policies and evaluation processes. It provides insights for cities seeking to develop inclusive, accessible and attractive pedestrian environments throughout the year.
- Planning & Design
- Maintenance & Operations
- Policy, Strategy & Governance
- Health, Safety & Wellbeing
ResearchStrategy
Assessment of Seoul's Snow Removal Operations and Improvement Strategies
Oh Han Jin, Park Daegeun, Lee Keesei, Ma Gyeonghoon · 2026 · South Korea
This policy research report evaluates Seoul's winter maintenance operations using weather and operational evidence, including data from the 2020/21 to 2024/25 winter seasons. It identifies increasing road icing risks, fragmented responsibilities between municipal agencies, inconsistent maintenance standards and shortcomings in the prioritisation of vulnerable locations. The study proposes risk-based maintenance planning, improved coordination between districts, GIS-supported resource allocation, more consistent deicing practices and greater use of weather and road surface data in operational decision-making. Although its scope extends beyond active mobility, the findings are particularly relevant to improving the reliability, safety and governance of winter maintenance for pedestrian areas and urban transport networks.
- Maintenance & Operations
- Data & Monitoring
- Policy, Strategy & Governance
Research
Cold stress mitigation by urban trees: Computational fluid dynamics analysis of deciduous and evergreen effects in winter environments
Geon Kang, Wonsik Choi, Jeong Hee Eum, Jae Jin Kim · 2026 · South Korea
This peer-reviewed study investigates how urban tree species, height and placement influence pedestrian-level cold stress during winter in Daegu, South Korea. Using a validated computational fluid dynamics model coupled with solar radiation modelling, the researchers compared deciduous and evergreen tree-planting scenarios and assessed their effects using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). Wind speed was the dominant factor affecting winter thermal comfort. Tall evergreen trees reduced cold stress in exposed and windy urban corridors, while their shading could worsen conditions in sheltered areas by limiting winter solar radiation. The findings provide practical guidance for climate-responsive street design, demonstrating that winter tree-planting strategies should balance wind protection with access to sunlight rather than applying uniform greening solutions.
- Planning & Design
- Data & Monitoring
- Health, Safety & Wellbeing
Dataset
Quebec - Cycling All Year Round Data Resource,
Vélo Québec, Observatoire du vélo · 2026
An evidence-based overview of year-round cycling in Québec, exploring seasonal cycling patterns, winter cycling participation, safety, infrastructure and winter maintenance. It combines cycling statistics and research findings to explain how protected, well-maintained cycling networks can support active mobility throughout the year.
- Maintenance & Operations
- Data & Monitoring
- Behaviour & Mobility Management
- Health, Safety & Wellbeing

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