Last Mile – smart mobility pilots in Jätkäsaari

The Last Mile project sought smart mobility solutions in the Helsinki region for use by residents and tourists. In Helsinki, the project’s new services were piloted in the Jätkäsaari area. The goal was to make it easier for people to move about and improve the accessibility of the area.

Objective

The Last Mile project utilised a market-oriented approach to seek new smart mobility solutions for the needs of tourists, residents and commuters. The aim was to facilitate mobility for these target groups in the areas of Jätkäsaari and Ruoholahti in Helsinki, Nuuksio, Rantaraitti and marine sites in Espoo and the area of Aviapolis in Vantaa.

The cities sought new solutions in collaboration with companies that provide mobility services; tourism industry companies; research, development and innovation actors; and the end-users of transport services, based on a co-creation approach.

Duration, partners and funding

The Last Mile project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Six City Strategy for 2017–2020. The project was conducted by Forum Virium Helsinki, the City of Vantaa, Espoo Marketing Oy, Aalto University, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and Demos Helsinki.

The joint project was coordinated by the City of Vantaa and had a total budget of EUR 1.9 million. Forum Virium Helsinki was responsible for the coordination of the project and the realisation of its pilots in Helsinki.

Key achievements of the project

In Helsinki, the project carried out a total of eight smart mobility pilots, of which the rides to children’s football games and practice in particular proved to be an effective service model that remained in use even after the piloting period. The pilots’ other observations helped develop maritime services, promote bicycling, test new forms of mobility and reduce traffic emissions. In addition to the this, the pilots produced experimental mobility data.

The pilots received a great deal of enthusiastic feedback and development suggestions. The pilots carried out in 2018 focused on the development of mobility services for tourists. These includes bicycle tours with audio navigation, smart parking for shared-use cars in Jätkäsaari harbour, ‘Uber for boats’ and boat rides from Jätkäsaari to the Market Square. Read more about the pilots carried out in 2018 here

.In the following year, the project developed mobility services for the residents of Jätkäsaari. The pilots carried out in 2019 included ecological cargo bike transports, a network of shared-use cargo bikes, shared rides to football practice and games and a smart pedestrian crossing that increases safety. Read more about the pilots carried out in 2019 here.

The project engaged in close cooperation with residents, allowing people to participate in the development of smart mobility services. Forum Virium Helsinki purchased the pilots through a procurement process, developed agile pilot operations and provided piloting support to companies. In addition to procuring the pilots, Forum Virium Helsinki offered companies the opportunity to test their services in a genuine urban environment. The Last Mile project contributed to the establishment of the Jätkäsaari Mobility Lab, the City’s hub for smart mobility projects and resident cooperation in Jätkäsaari. The development of smart mobility solutions continues at the Jätkäsaari Mobility Lab.

Benefits for Helsinki

The City of Helsinki gained new information on the possibilities of smart mobility and understanding of obstacles to piloting. The project provided the City with the information and resources necessary to carry out agile pilots in the area of smart mobility and allowed it to strengthen it competence and gain experience in realising pilots. The lessons learned in the Last Mile project were put into practice through meetings with City experts and the publication of a guidebook on how to organise rides to practice, which is freely available for download.