In a Draft Report on an action plan for urban mobility the European Parliament's Committee on Transport and Tourism states that the complexity and interdependence of travel systems and personal and collective modes of transport in urban areas makes a purely technical approach focussed on various modes of transport very limiting. The report emphasises the need for an integrated "urban travel systems" approach together with a "user-centred" approach taking the behaviour of the users adequately into account. In line with these statements, the STOA project proposed in this opinion is looking at technologies from an innovation-oriented angle. It provides an inventory of both existing and future technology options in urban transport as well as an overview on the scientific knowledge about their (potential) impacts on health and/or environment. Taking this as a basis, the project will also look at the socio-economic context in which these technologies are or will be implemented. It will analyse the knowledge about perceptions, motivations and the changeability of behavioural patterns of the actors, in particular users, which are relevant for the successful implementation of technological and organisational innovations in urban transport. The overall aim will be to highlight promising innovation pathways to a more sustainable urban transport system.

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