3rd EELISA Scientific Student Competition at Bucharest

Lucía Magaña, member of EELISA-on-the-MOVE: awarded at the 3rd EELISA Scientific Student Competition at Bucharest

Last 12th and 13th of June, took place the 3rd EELISA European University International Scientific Student Competition at the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, co-organized by the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Around 100 international students from across the EELISA European University Alliance presented their research work in 12 exciting sessions on site and online.

The Universidad Politécnica de Madrid was represented by 7 students from different faculties thanks to the foundation of EELISA UPM, among them our colleague Lucía Magaña Morán, who also represented our community EELISA On-the-MOVE and the Transport Research Centre of the UPM: TRANSyT.

We are proud of Lucía for having received a Special Price to publish in the scientific journal Cognitive Sustainability her study, entitled “New Pedestrian Cities. Analysis of the transformation of urban space in sustainable mobility projects.” Analyzes the implementation of pedestrianization from the pedestrian perspective, through two recent case studies in Madrid (Puerta del Sol and Plaza de Olavide).

Through surveys carried out on pedestrians in both areas and a study of the built environment where it is analysed how the interventions have been executed and which are the elements that make up the space, it is shown that the interventions more focused on the user, which promote the stay and the enjoyment of the environment produce a greater satisfaction in the pedestrian.

Students also had de opportunity to explored Bucharest and visited the main research hubs of the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest: CAMPUS and PRECIS Institutes.

We are very grateful to the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Budapest University of Technology and Economics and EELISA for this opportunity to exchange knowledge once again among young people.

SomosSUPM Podcast with Mari Luz Brownrigg-Gleeson

Mari Luz Brownrigg-Gleeson, gives the main keys to a study that has analysed the social and economic impact on pedestrianised areas of the capital.

Researcher Mari Luz Brownrigg-Gleeson, part of EELISA-on-the-MOVE and Transport Research Centre (TRANSyT-UPM), has participated in the new episode of the podcast SomosUPMfrom the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, here she has shared some of the main results of the study we lead in the framework of the European project SCALE-UP.

The study, carried out in collaboration with Andrés Monzón y Adriana Cortez, is in line with the objectives of our EELISA-on-the-MOVE. It analyses the effects of pedestrianisation in busy areas of Madrid, such as Puerta del Sol and Plaza de Olavide, assessing its impact on mobility, quality of life and the local economy. One of the most relevant findings is the high level of satisfaction among citizens and businesses, despite the initial reluctance that usually surrounds this type of intervention.

In addition, there is a significant decrease in car use in the affected areas, accompanied by an increase in the willingness of citizens to walk, which reinforces the idea that such urban transformations favour a more sustainable, inclusive and liveable city.

These results can be found in detail in the following article: Reasons to Pedestrianise Urban Centres: Impact Analysis on Mobility Habits, Liveability and Economic Activities (Brownrigg-Gleeson et al., 2023), available at the following link:  https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/23/16472

We also highlight how pedestrianisation favours local commerce, promoting more frequent use of neighbourhood shops and hospitality services, in line with the 15-minute city model, which was also discussed in the episode and which is the focus of Mari Luz’s research.

As our researcher points out, “Madrid can be a more pedestrian-friendly city, but that means reducing the space available to private vehicles,” a message that, although sometimes controversial, is increasingly present in urban mobility policies.

You can listen to the full episode here:
https://youtu.be/2N1Im_KuZuA?si=wA5PSURQXg1DMZLu