New training programme, PACE, opens doors for city planners, engineers and public officials to lead the shift to active mobility
New training programme, PACE, opens doors for city planners, engineers and public officials to lead the shift to active mobility
Cities across Southern and Eastern Europe are shifting investment away from car-centred planning and towards walking, cycling and micromobility, but many municipalities still lack the tools and know-how to make that shift safely. A new professional training programme, PACE (Promoting Active Cities in Europe), has launched to close that gap, and enrolment for its first edition is now open.
What is PACE
PACE is a capacity-building programme supported by EIT Urban Mobility and delivered by a consortium of six partners: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Fundació Politècnica de Catalunya, FACTUAL (project coordinator) and the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona in Spain, the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) and the Major Development Agency Thessaloniki (MDAT) in Greece.
Who it's for
PACE is built for anyone working to make cities more walkable, cyclable and liveable, and each professional path gets something different from it. Municipal and regional officials and public administrators gain the governance, funding and procurement know-how to get active mobility projects approved and delivered. Urban planners, engineers and consultants master in-demand digital tools, such as Lane Patrol and RideSafeUM, and international standards including the Safe System approach and the CROW Design Manual. NGOs and civic organisations pick up practical frameworks for inclusive, community-led planning. Students and early-career researchers get direct exposure to real case studies and applied methodologies before entering the workforce.
Inside the course
PACE comprises two independent, certified courses that can be taken separately or together:
- PACE 1 covers the design and evaluation of active mobility infrastructure.
- PACE 2 focuses on policy, stakeholder engagement and funding for active mobility projects.
Each course runs for five weeks, blending self-paced video content with live online sessions led by academics and industry experts. Participants can also opt into an eight-hour, hands-on field day in Barcelona or Thessaloniki. Teaching is in English, with Spanish and Greek subtitles.
The full programme (PACE 1 + PACE 2) runs from 23 September to 3 December 2026, worth 2 ECTS credits. Each course is also open for separate enrolment, with PACE 2 starting on 5 November 2026.
Price: €150 per individual course / €210 for the full bundle PACE 1 & PACE 2 (save 30% if you enrol before 31 August to both courses).
More information and registration here.