CIVINET Greece-Cyprus is one of the few organisations in Greece implementing a structured, ongoing programme of daily awareness-raising on sustainable mobility, targeting both citizens and policymakers.
Focusing on local government officials and the broader public sector, as well as private engineers, students and researchers, CIVINET produces engaging daily content across social media and in mainstream media outlets, gradually contributing to a shift in public attitudes towards sustainable mobility in Greece.
Its approach is fundamentally human-centred, placing equal emphasis on technological and social innovation. The CIVINET team’s core objective is to support the gradual transformation of Greek cities through active citizen participation. For this reason, participatory planning constitutes an integral part of CIVINET’s methodology for developing comprehensive Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs).
This explains why CIVINET developed a participatory planning platform for SUMPs well before such a requirement was introduced into the Greek institutional framework and with significantly higher specifications than those mandated by legislation. It also explains why the organisation typically delivers more in-person consultation events than formally required.
A key element of its participatory approach is the application of Placemaking and Tactical Urbanism practices within its projects — for example, the temporary transformation of public spaces using low-cost, ephemeral materials implemented directly by citizens within a short timeframe. A flagship initiative is the Outta Climate Festival (Climate Festivals), already implemented in five schools across Greece (Agios Dimitrios, Vari Voula Vouliagmeni, Heraklion Attica, Heraklion Crete and Karpenisi).
The Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) of Agios Dimitrios was recognised by the European Commission as the most participatory and inclusive SUMP in Greece, featuring four in-person consultation events and two dedicated thematic actions (one focusing on gender and one on children).
Accessibility for persons with disabilities and people with reduced mobility, along with road safety for vulnerable road users, are at the top of CIVINET’s priorities and design choices. These principles are further reinforced through its collaboration with relevant national stakeholders and institutions across Greece.
Beyond the dozens of citizen and stakeholder engagement events delivered across its projects, in many of which CIVINET officially serves as communication lead, the team has also organised three international conferences and one national conference (1st and 2nd CIVINET Forum, Mediterranean Mobility Forum, Attica Green Expo). Through these initiatives, CIVINET provides every interested citizen with the opportunity to better understand sustainable mobility and to actively advocate for a more appropriate and people-centred urban environment.