During the webinar, representatives from POLIS members Helsinki-Uusimaa and Catalonia regions presented their different governance and planning approaches in Finland and Catalonia, respectively.

Finland and the MAL approach

Sakari Saarinen from the Helsinki-Uusimaa region presented Finland’s MAL process, which integrates land use (M), housing (A), and transport (L) planning into a single cooperative framework. The MAL agreements serve as contractual policy tools between the state and the country’s seven urban regions, providing funding incentives and strategic coordination but relying on voluntary collaboration rather than enforcement mechanisms.

In Finland, municipalities hold substantial power over transport planning, while regional councils mainly oversee land use and coordination. The national government retains responsibility for the country’s transport network. Through MAL agreements, municipalities commit to planning measures in exchange for state co-financing, fostering alignment between local and national priorities. These agreements are renewed every four years, ensuring that projects and priorities remain current.

The MAL model has successfully supported flagship initiatives such as Tampere’s tram network and the Helsinki ring light rail, both of which have significantly expanded sustainable mobility options in their respective regions. The agreements now explicitly include Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and Sustainable Urban Mobility Indicators (SUMI), in line with revised TEN-T requirements for Urban Nodes. The Helsinki-Uusimaa region, home to 1.7 million inhabitants and a key hub at the intersection of three TEN-T corridors, plays a central role in Finland’s national and international connectivity.

Saarinen emphasised that the MAL framework encourages cooperation across municipalities, ministries, and transport agencies, helping to bridge administrative divides. Because Finland already has established municipal groupings and regional partnerships, there is no need for new definitions of “urban nodes” or “regions” when implementing MAL or SUMP processes. This institutional maturity enables smoother coordination in the planning phase and the consistent provision of sustainable transport data.

Nevertheless, the system faces persistent challenges. Balancing investment between large infrastructure projects, often including road schemes, and smaller sustainable mobility measures remains complex. Differences in municipal priorities can make it difficult to establish a shared regional vision, especially as there is no single decision-making body at the regional level. Implementation often depends on the willingness and capacity of individual municipalities.

During the discussion, participants noted that Finland’s contractual model offers a promising example of cooperative governance for transport systems that cross administrative borders. The Helsinki-Uusimaa region’s strong tradition of collaboration was cited as a key success factor, though Saarinen acknowledged that the process is inherently political and outcomes vary by region. The state typically plays a majority funding role in nationally significant projects, while municipalities benefit from the additional resources and policy coherence the MAL agreements provide.

Catalonia’s approach to multimodal bus services

Cristina Pou presented Catalonia’s strategy to enhance multimodal, accessible, and sustainable interurban bus services, particularly beyond the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Her presentation illustrated how targeted investments and coordination mechanisms can significantly improve mobility in smaller and medium-sized cities.

Catalonia’s initiatives include the deployment of electric feeder buses linked to rail stations and the necessary charging infrastructure, as well as the development of new express and on-demand services under the expres.cat and clic.cat networks. In the Les Garrigues area, residents of towns with as few as 4,000–5,000 inhabitants can book demand-responsive services via mobile app, improving connectivity with regional centres such as Lleida.

At the same time, Catalonia has improved student access to universities through new bus routes, notably serving the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). This initiative increased ridership by 87% while reducing free parking availability, encouraging mode shift from cars to public transport. Plans are underway to replicate this model at other universities across the region.

In Terres de l’Ebre, Catalonia has implemented a coordinated 'hub-and-spoke' bus system, allowing on-demand services to connect passengers to central hubs that provide regular links to major cities such as Barcelona and Tarragona. This model has led to a 16.5% increase in demand. In Segarra County, where no rail option exists, the region has integrated school transport and regular bus services. By allowing students and other passengers to share routes and using available vehicles for on-demand trips during school hours, overall demand rose by 30%.

Another innovative measure has been the introduction of park-and-ride bus routes to Catalonia’s national and natural parks, including Montseny, Garrotxa, and Aigüestortes, offering a sustainable alternative to car travel for visitors to these protected areas. These initiatives are coordinated through a concessional network of private operators who are instructed to accommodate demand-responsive passengers, ensuring seamless service delivery and communication.

Pou underlined the importance of affordability, ticket integration, and coordinated timetables as key incentives for behavioural change. While data on whether new users of demand-responsive services are entirely new to public transport is still being collected, the early indicators show strong potential for modal shift, especially in areas with limited alternatives.

Conclusion

The Finnish and Catalan cases presented complementary approaches to regional mobility governance. Finland’s MAL agreements demonstrate how structured, long-term cooperation between municipalities and the state can sustain integrated planning across administrative borders. Catalonia’s multimodal bus initiatives showcase how targeted innovation and flexibility can strengthen sustainable mobility in less densely populated regions.

Together, these experiences underline that effective regional mobility depends on collaborative governance, adaptable frameworks, and multimodal solutions tailored to local contexts. Whether through contractual planning instruments like MAL or through the creative coordination of rural and interurban bus networks, both regions illustrate how political commitment and practical innovation can translate sustainable transport goals into tangible results.