The CIVITAS program is the European Union’s initiative helping to achieve its mobility and transport goals. It does this by acting as a network of cities, for cities dedicated to sustainable urban mobility. Through peer exchange, networking and training, CIVITAS fosters political commitment and boosts collective expertise, equipping cities to put mobility at the centre of decarbonisation. Launching calls, it also supports the financing of cutting-edge projects for research and development/innovation in sustainable mobility solutions.
During the last years, several national and transnational regional CIVITAS networks (CIVINETs) were created to provide a platform for cities to exchange experiences and results without linguistic obstacles and to learn from each other’s best practices.
Magyar CIVINET was formed in 2016; at the beginning of 2022 it has 18 full members (local authorities) and 11 associate members (transport services, universities, research institutes, consultancies, NGOs). Its goal is to provide a platform in Hungarian language for cities in Hungary and in neighbouring countries using Hungarian language (as well) and to assist cities to access funding available from the CIVITAS program.
To achieve its goals, the network organizes onsite workshops and webinars, site visits, study tours and publishes bi-monthly newsletters, brochures. It also provides with translation of some CIVITAS publications. Furthermore, it maintains a website and a social media channel as well.
The workshops, attracting 30-70 experts, include all the topics of the CIVITAS program:
- Clean and energy-efficient vehicles
- Mobility management
- Public transport
- Demand and urban space management
- Car independent lifestyle
- Urban logistics
- Public participation and co-creation
- Road safety and security
- Smart and connected mobility
- Inclusive and integrated planning
The organization is led by the Board, elected by the members. The City of Szeged as the National Network Manager helps the network’s operation. Mobilissimus, as the Secretariat organizes the professional programmes and manages the administrative and communicational tasks as well. The formation and operation of the Magyar CIVINET has been funded by the CIVITAS CAPITAL, SATELLITE and ELEVATE projects.