Closing a chapter: GEMINI’s contribution to shared mobility
Over the past three years, GEMINI has worked with cities, mobility providers and communities to develop shared mobility services and explore how they can fit into existing transport systems. Across eight Mobility Living Labs, this work has taken different forms, from neighbourhood carsharing initiatives to connections with public transport and travel to major sporting events.
Project partners gathered in Turin for the GEMINI Final Event, organised by BGS, to discuss these experiences and the resources developed for other cities. With the project approaching its conclusion, the discussions considered how the services tested and the knowledge gained could support further work on shared mobility.
Working with cities and communities
Coordinated by UEMI, GEMINI brought together 43 partners from 17 European states. Since its launch in June 2023, the project has involved local stakeholders in designing services, testing them and examining the conditions needed to keep them running.
In Amsterdam, this meant working with cooperatives and neighbourhoods to understand local travel needs and develop community-led shared mobility. The approach, known as Mobility as a Commons, gives communities a role in organising the services they use. In Greater Copenhagen, the work centred on mobility hubs connecting public transport, shared services, walking and cycling in areas outside the urban centre.
Munich and Porto explored mobility around football stadiums, where match days bring particular demands on transport and parking. Munich’s work around the Allianz Arena included a park-and-ride shuttle, the MatchRide app for fans and changes to traffic management. Porto focused on coordinating mobility around Estádio do Dragão and improving integration with public transport.
Other Living Labs examined how shared services could support journeys between places and transport modes. The Turin Living Lab’s work included the development of SmartMove, an application for integrated travel, including cross-border connections, while Paris-Saclay worked on carsharing standards. Helsinki–Raseborg explored connections for peri-urban communities, and Ljubljana focused on shared mobility for employees, guests and visitors.
Making the experience useful to others
Alongside the local activities, GEMINI developed guidance on the decisions cities and operators face when introducing shared mobility. The Policy Package draws on research, interviews, workshops and Living Lab experience to address issues such as permits, coordination between institutions and integration with public transport.
It also considers how data can be shared between organisations, including who owns it, who can access it and which formats allow different systems to work together. These questions sit alongside the financial and operational arrangements needed to sustain a service.
The Shared Mobility Handbook brings this guidance into sixteen steps, taking users from assessing an idea and preparing its launch to maintaining and expanding the service. It addresses both initiatives led by public authorities and those developed by communities. The 3D Mobility World offers an interactive way to explore the Policy Package through a virtual city.
Through interviews, webinars, an e-course and other resources, the GEMINI Academy shares the experience behind the pilots. This gives other cities a basis for considering which approaches could address their own mobility needs and what would need to change before applying them.
Continuing the work after GEMINI
In its closing presentation, UEMI encouraged cities and regions to use these resources to identify a service worth adapting and incorporate it into their mobility planning. It also invited operators to work with public authorities and users on viable services, data sharing and long-term operations, while calling on policymakers and researchers to support clear rules, evaluation and the exchange of evidence between cities.
Participants then visited 5T’s offices to learn more about Turin’s work with SmartMove, connecting the day’s discussions with one of the project’s local applications.
As GEMINI completes its remaining activities, its guidance and learning resources give cities access to the experience gathered across the Living Labs. For those planning a shared mobility initiative, this includes practical information about involving communities, choosing a business model and agreeing who will operate and support the service over time.
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