The application-oriented funding line “Driving Urban Transition to a Sustainable Future” (DUT) of the EU’s Horizon Europe research program addresses profound transformation processes in cities against the backdrop of multidimensional sustainability issues.

The international research project PROMISE (Progressive Reduction of Car Dependency: cO-creating Solutions by Integrating Micro-mobility, Infrastructure, and Smart Policy in First/Last-MilE Travel and Deliveries) is part of the DUT initiative and aims to develop innovative strategies for reducing car dependency in urban mobility.

The Chair of Economic Geography, with a focus on Transportation and Logistics (Prof. Dr. Rudolf Juchelka), at the University of Duisburg-Essen is participating in PROMISE. The subproject (grant number 01UV2557) will run for three years (01/2025–12/2027).

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The PROMISE project includes 14 partners from six countries (Denmark, Germany, Greece, Romania, Sweden, and Turkey). The project is coordinated by Dalarna University (Sweden) under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Mia Xiaoyun Zhao. Other partners include:

• Denmark
  • Aalborg University , Department of Sustainability and Planning, The Technical Faculty of IT and Design, Geoinformatics & Earth Observation
• Germany
  • Bochum Economic Development Agency (Wirtschaftsförderung)
  • City of Cologne (Department III – Mobility)
  • University of Duisburg-Essen, Department of Economic Geography, Transport & Logistics
  • UPS Germany S.à r.l. & Co. OHG
• Greece
  • City of Rethymno (City Administration)
• Romania
  • BEIA Cercetare
  • Brasov Metropolitan Agency for Sustainable Development (Economic Development Agency)
• Sweden
  • ModC Networks AB (Modular Cycling)
  • Sustainability InnoCenter
• Turkey
  • DFAST Dagitim Hizmetleri ve Lojistik A.S. (hepsiJET/HJET)
  • City of Osmangazi (City Administration)
  • Uzay Tech Bilisim Arastirma Muhendislik Hizmetleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. (Uzay)

The Department of Economic Geography, Transportation and Logistics, at the University of Duisburg-Essen primarily supports the empirical research on the case studies of the two German cities, Bochum and Cologne.

The goal is to test co-creative approaches that actively involve a diverse range of stakeholders and actors in order to observe the reduction in car traffic achieved through micro-mobility solutions for the first and last mile. The GIS-based mobility decision-making tool developed for this project will be applied and evaluated as part of the case studies. The data and insights gained will be used to validate and further develop micro-mobility approaches.

• Bochum-Ehrenfeld Case Study: 
  The Bochum-Ehrenfeld neighborhood has already benefited from improvements to its bicycle infrastructure and is perceived by many Bochum residents as a bicycle-friendly neighborhood. With support from Bochum Wirtschaftsentwicklung (Economic development agency), research is being conducted to determine how the acceptance of micro-mobility in Bochum-Ehrenfeld can be further increased. As part of this effort, innovative delivery and logistics services – with a focus on the last mile using cargo bikes – are being further developed to reduce dependence on cars while maintaining both spatial and economic sustainability.
• Cologne-Ehrenfeld Case Study:
  The Cologne-Ehrenfeld district, which serves as the case study, already has a comparatively well-developed bicycle infrastructure and is also characterized by high levels of inner-city traffic and delivery volume. The Cologne-Ehrenfeld case study reassesses the potential of cargo bikes for both urban logistics and the mobility of people with disabilities, seniors, and others with limited mobility. UPS Germany is participating in research on usage patterns and the identification of existing mobility barriers on the ground.
• Practicepartner UPS:
  As a company focused on sustainable delivery concepts, UPS already uses cargo bikes for package delivery in several cities and plans to further expand this delivery method. In Cologne, UPS operates a micro-depot for inner-city deliveries using cargo bikes. As a logistics service provider, UPS thus contributes valuable practical experience, data, and services to the PROMISE project, particularly to support the case studies. In addition, UPS is participating in the analysis of usage patterns and the identification of existing local mobility barriers on the ground.

  * In the overall English-language context of the project, a European definition of “Living Labs” in English is used, whereas in the German-language context, the terms “case studies” (in German “Fallstudien”) or “pilot studies” (in German “Pilotstudien”) are deliberately used.

The PROMISE poster „Barrieren in der Mikromobilität – Urbaner Verkehr: nachhaltig, sicher und durchgängig“ (in English: “Barriers to Micro-mobility – Urban Transportation: Sustainable, Safe, and Seamless”) was presented and displayed at the Geography Connect Convention (GCC), which took place from 30^th September to 2th October, 2026. The GCC was the largest academic conference on geography in Germany in 2026. During the poster session, empirical findings from the case studies in Bochum-Ehrenfeld and Cologne-Ehrenfeld were presented in particular. These findings addressed local barriers faced by cargo bike riders as well as potential solutions for improving the micro-mobility situation. In addition, initial spatial analyses in the form of GIS-based maps were presented.