Thessaloniki event tackles sustainable mobility in islands and mountain areas
A Thessaloniki event highlighted the varying mobility challenges facing Greek islands, mountain areas and tourist destinations.
The "Day of Greek Cities" event took place on September 14 at Thessaloniki City Hall, as part of CIVITAS Forum 2026. It was co-organized by CIVINET Greece-Cyprus, CLIMANET and KEDE, with participation from municipal representatives, universities and professional bodies.
Representatives from fourteen municipalities took part, including Thessaloniki, Athens, Chania, Rethymno and Kalamata, along with OSETH, Aristotle University, the National Technical University of Athens, TEE/TKM and the Association of Greek Transport Engineers. A shared conclusion was that sustainable mobility cannot rely on a single model but must adapt to the needs of each area.
In the panel titled "Islands, Mountains, Tourism, Culture," Andreas Stergiou from the Municipality of Argithea presented the challenges facing mountain local government, while Anastasia Psalti from "Voices for the Archipelago" addressed insularity, seasonality and tourist demand. Ioanna Pagoni, assistant professor at the University of the Aegean, presented research on micromobility solutions such as electric bikes and e-scooters in tourist destinations.
Sotiris Tsoukarelis from "Psila Vouna" social cooperative spoke about the needs of remote communities, while Dimitrios Nalbantis from Aristotle University presented the ARTIST project on tourist destination needs. The event preceded CIVITAS Forum 2026, held in Thessaloniki from September 15 to 17.