Everyone is talking about the transport, traffic and mobility revolution, but what does it mean? Discussions, proposals and criticism on this subject are shaping the current debate at municipal, state and federal level. "In general measures are discussed that are intended to promote such a turnaround or that stand in the way of it. What is less clear is which overarching principles, goals and starting points a transport and traffic turnaround should follow," says Prof. Udo Becker, Head of the Chair of Transport Ecology at the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at TU Dresden.

For the discussion and clarification of these questions, an expert colloquium of German transport ecologists took place at the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences on 15 September 2021. Prof. Udo Becker and his team from the Chair of Transport Ecology had invited the participants. The 40 or so participants - including representatives from German universities, the Federal Environment Agency, the Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture, Dresden Transport Planning and the German Society for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GIZ GmbH) discussed the many aspects and sub-areas of a "real" transport and traffic turnaround. All agreed that replacing engines and striving to become as climate-neutral as possible is by no means enough: transport and traffic transformation must encompass all modes of transport and traffic and all areas of society. It is much more fundamental than it has been discussed so far, according to the common tenor. "A real change in transport and traffic is also a change in society," says Udo Becker.

A Paper to support actors in arguing for a transport and traffic turnaround

The highlight of the conference was the adoption of the "Dresden Declaration on Turnaround in Transport Policy". In the declaration, the signatories emphasise that the overarching goal of all transport-related actions is to secure mobility. This emphasises right at the beginning of the paper that "this is not about bans or pointing the finger", explains Udo Becker. Rather, the ten points are meant to be a support for the argumentation around the topic of the transport and traffic turnaround. "We are addressing all those who deal with this issue either professionally in municipalities, ministries, companies or NGOs or privately in associations, organisations or in voluntary work," says the transport ecologist from Dresden.

A sub-goal of the transport and traffic turnaround is defined in the argumentation paper as the "minimum transport effort while covering all mobility needs defined as politically appropriate". The core of this is a "shift from traffic activation to mobility security". The design of "truly climate-neutral" transport and traffic should be based on the principles of traffic avoidance, modal shift and traffic improvement, "in close integration with spatial planning, economic policy, financial policy, health policy and school policy". Resilience and high quality of life are mentioned as strategic goal orientations. Implementation should not only take into account the interests of current users, but also those of affected "other people", "other spaces/areas" and "other generations". The signatories emphasised the responsibility of transport and traffic planning for the design of attractive street spaces and thus vibrant cities.

Prof. Udo Becker - more than three decades on a mission for transport ecology

For Prof. Udo Becker, the meeting of transport ecologists represented the crowning conclusion of his full-time work as a professor and scientist, which will end on 30 September 2021 with his retirement. Udo Becker, born in 1957 in Schwenningen/Baden-Württemberg, has headed the Chair of Transport Ecology at the TU Dresden for 27 years. He is one of the most renowned and frequently interviewed transport ecologists in Germany. For more than three decades, his scientific mission has been to educate people about transport, traffic and ecology in a factual, controversial - but always fair and humorous way, in order to "secure mobility for the future through the transfer of knowledge", as he says. In some years, he has given around 40 lectures to employees from municipalities, ministries or NGOs. In addition, there have been many other research projects in Germany and Europe as well as further training courses on mobility management for employees in municipal administrations in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony, among others.

Thousands of students inspired with lectures

Every year, around 300 students from up to 12 degree programmes at TU Dresden attended his lecture on "Environment and Transport" - around 8,000 young people in 27 years. This was one of the main reasons for the industrial engineer to move to the TU Dresden in 1994 after working at the University of Karlsruhe and Prognos AG in Switzerland: "The old goal of more and more and faster traffic leads to a dead end, and we know that. My goal was therefore to develop concepts with the students on how mobility and climate protection can work together. I am very pleased when our graduates help to implement this in administrations, ministries or planning companies after their studies. There is now something in the world that will be passed on, disseminated and implemented," says the Dresden resident by choice, who has never regretted moving from Basel to Dresden.

Senior professorship with focus on international projects and teaching formats

However, Udo Becker will not be parting company with "his" Faculty of Transport Sciences "Friedrich List" from October onwards. He will remain there as a senior professor. Then he would like to focus his work on international research projects and also on other teaching formats. He enthuses: "Nowhere else in the world is there anything like this faculty, embedded in a city and a region that is so exciting, and with many international contacts - especially traditionally also in Eastern Europe. I'm looking forward being able to work here a little longer."

The members of the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences are also pleased about this: "I am very happy that Udo Becker has helped shaping our transport topics over many years with a lot of heart and expertise. He deserves our sincere thanks for his life's work up to this point," said the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Günther Prokop, paying tribute to his esteemed colleague and adding: "The importance of transport ecology as a subject will continue to grow in the future. It is very fortunate for the faculty that Udo Becker will remain with us as a senior professor and that together we can shape the mobility of the future."

Udo Becker's official farewell at the faculty took place after the conference.