International Projects
Sustrans' practical projects in the UK offer hope of a better future, where our transport choices make us all healthier, protect the global environment, and make city streets pleasant places to be.
Naturally, we communicate with public bodies and community organisations outside the UK about the progress of these projects, in the hope that our experience may be useful to them. We also collaborate where we can - the problems caused by our over-reliance on private motor transport are global in their impact and the solutions must be international too.
This is a two-way process: practitioners in Europe and further afield have much to teach us, and Sustrans hopes to help import the best practice, to help make the UK a leader in sustainable transport and high-quality living environments.
Projects
EuroVelo - the European cycle route network
EuroVelo is the project to develop 12 trans-European cycle routes, through each and every country, both in and outside the European Union; a total of over 61,000km. It includes the seven-country North Sea Cycle Route.
Walking and cycling in Southern Europe
Southern European countries are now demonstrating good practice in promotion of walking and cycling, sometimes operating in areas where previously the car had been dominant. Sustrans shares information with many public and non-governmental bodies in most Mediterranean countries including France, Spain and Italy.
Northern Europe - decades ahead
The use of healthy and sustainable forms of transport in some northern European countries is so far ahead of the UK as to make any comparison embarrassing. Investment in walking and cycling has been significantly higher, and as a result much higher levels of use are achieved. Sustrans maintains a valuable two-way communication with our advanced neighbours.
Can Central and Eastern European countries aspire to the material standard of living of the west, without recreating the toxic pollution, climate change emissions and terrible road casualties brought by our over-indulgence in private motoring? Sustrans works to support official bodies and NGOs in many CEE countries, but also to learn from their dynamism and innovation.