28/07/2025
The STEP-15 (Sustainable Transport and Engagement Programmes for 15-minute cities) project, in which Sabancı University participates as a research partner, has been selected for funding under the Driving Urban Transitions (DUT) Partnership 2024 Call, supported by the European Commission.
Aiming to make cities more livable, accessible and sustainable, the project seeks to accelerate the transition to the 15-minute city (15mC) concept by developing the necessary tools and methodologies. As part of the project, a 15mC Readiness Rating System will be created to analyze current urban mobility infrastructures and provide data-driven indicators for identifying areas in need of improvement.
The STEP-15 project will implement its solutions, designed to be adaptable to different urban contexts, through two pilot initiatives: in Postojna, Slovenia, the focus will be on encouraging walking and cycling to school; in Masquefa, Spain, the aim is to enhance accessible transport infrastructure for children and individuals with reduced mobility.
The three-year project will be carried out in partnership with Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya (Spain), Sabancı University (Türkiye), University of Nova Gorica (Slovenia), the Municipality of Postojna (Slovenia) and the Municipality of Masquefa (Spain). Represented by Dr. Duygu Taş Küten (principal investigator) and Dr. Esra Koca (researcher) affiliated with Sabancı University Smart Mobility and Logistics Lab is responsible for conducting the development of optimization models and decision-support tools in the fields of logistics, transportation and sustainable urban planning, while also coordinating the project’s communication and dissemination activities within DUT Knowledge Hub.
