EU and national policy in pursuit of more sustainable urban transport is of little value only unless it can effectively be implemented at the local level. Full usage of the EU principle of subsidiarity is vital in order to give city authorities the flexibility and capacity to implement 'good' policy. Yet existing administrative and legal frameworks across Europe are diverse and often too rigid to cater for the needs of cities. In order to identify examples of 'best practice' in Europe, a comprehensive picture was drawn up as part of the LEDA project, funded by the EU's DGVII, 1998-2000. This extensive study was carried out by a large international research consortium. It examines the situation in all EU states, 5 Central and Eastern European states as well as Switzerland and Norway. The powers and competencies granted to local governments vary greatly by country. While there is rather tight central government control in some countries (e.g. the UK), there is much more `elbow room' in others (e.g. Switzerland, Scandinavia, Germany, Austria). Local authorities are at their greatest autonomy regarding their own local road network, e.g. parking management, traffic calming, local public transport, cycling and walking. The paper demonstrates that local authorities across Europe are most active and creative in countries where national frameworks provide for the 'right' balance of competencies and obligations imposed on them. This right balance varies greatly by policy area and can be attained only by iteration and on a largely participatory basis.
Abstract