This webinar is organised by the Regions Working Group with the support of the Just Transition Taskforce.

Transport poverty is often seen as an urban issue, yet many of its most severe challenges emerge (and persevere) across regional, peri-urban, and rural areas. This webinar explores how regions can improve access, coordination, and governance across the rural–urban divide, rather than focusing on individual modes or isolated projects.

Through case studies from Southern, Central, and Northern Europe, speakers will show how regions connect low-density areas to jobs, services, and opportunities, addressing structural issues like depopulation and funding gaps, as well as regional strategies, such as shared mobility governance, rail-based access systems, and territorial equity frameworks.

The session links to the Just Transition and the POLIS’ Social Climate Fund report, framing transport poverty as an access problem (SCF 1.2), highlighting car dependency as a lack of choice (1.4–1.5), and showing how shared mobility can improve equity and efficiency in low-density areas (2.4).

Speakers

• Vitor Moreira, Intermunicipal Community of Douro
• Jakob Britz, Regions Management East Tyrol
• TBC

Moderated by Ben Luoma, Regions Working Group Manager at POLIS

About the Just Transition webinar series

This webinar is part of POLIS’ Just Transition webinar series dedicated to transport poverty. The series examines how cities and regions can address mobility injustice through targeted, inclusive local action. 

The series offers a timely platform to explore how local authorities and other urban mobility stakeholders can support fair and sustainable mobility. Building on POLIS’ recent policy paper on the SCF, each session tackles a key theme at the intersection of climate, equity, and mobility, showcasing strategies that drive structural change on the ground.