Frequently Asked Questions

What is EcoMobility?

EcoMobility is a term used to describe travel through integrated, socially inclusive, and environmentally friendly options: namely walking, cycling, wheeling (use of any vehicle with more than two wheels), public transport options, shared mobility and light electric vehicles designed at a human scale.

What is the EcoMobility World Festival?

The EcoMobility World Festival or the Festival is a concept initiated by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability as a challenge for visionary city leaders to take up. The concept is based on depicting the future of mobility in real time with real people in a real city for an entire calendar month. In this one month cities undergoing the EcoMobility festival project shall encourage the use of ecomobility in the neighbourhood, by discouraging use of personal automobiles.

Why is it organized in Kaohsiung city and in the Hamasen district of Kaohsiung City?

Kaohsiung city has an ambitious agenda in urban mobility. The city wants to create an integrated urban mobility system, which is low-carbon and people centered. Such a goal coupled with a strong and visionary political leadership and will, makes Kaohsiung a very formidable candidate for implementing a Festival.

Hamasen is an important cultural and tourist spot of Kaohsiung, which makes it vulnerable to traffic congestion, air pollution, and road safety. The Festival envisages to portray that tourism and a high standard of living can be fused together through ecomobility, making Hamasen the best district to showcase this idea.

In addition, through the positive demonstration in Hamasen, the concept hopes to be replicated in other neighborhoods or districts. Hamasen district has a successful history of pioneering development in Kaohsiung, such as the first railway track in the early 20th century.

What is the aim of the Festival in Kaohsiung?
  1. Create a demonstration area for an ecomobile urban environment by
    • Improving accessibility and mobility through construction of alternative parking space, provision of free low-carbon transport services; addition of pedestrian space, public bicycle rental stations, walkways and others;
    • Beautifying the urban façade through underground cables, renovation of old houses, and cleaning community homes and spaces; and
    • Advocating for a low-carbon lifestyle by providing subsidies for greening of private vacant land and for switching to low-carbon transport modes.
  2. Highlight local characteristics through cultural festivals (local delicacies, temple streets, cultural tours, monument tours, and school performances).
  3. Organize a low-carbon transport exhibition and innovative electric vehicle showcase and test-ride experience.
  4. Organize an EcoMobility World Congress that brings together city mayors, local and international transport experts, policymakers and advocates to exchange knowledge and experience the transformed Hamasen area and be inspired to replicate the example.
During the Festival, will the entire Hamasen district really be closed to automobiles?

No, only a part of the Hamasen district will serve as the Festival area.

The festival area is located at the Gushan of the Hamasen district. The demarcated areas are surrounded by the Linhai Second Road, Binhai First and Second Road, and Gushan first road. The total demonstration area is approximately 0.16 square kilometers.

The Festival provides a month-long experience of an ecomobile lifestyle. During the Festival period, cars are not entirely restricted from being used at the Hamasen area. Instead, the city will encourage the use of more environmental-friendly, low carbon and safer transport modes through improvements in the urban façade, transport infrastructure; and others. All initiatives are geared towards achieving the benefits of ecomobility within the demonstration area.

What activities and events will be organized during the Festival?

A variety of activities, events, workshops will be organized throughout the Festival, broadly encompassing the following types:

  • Cultural experience
  • Vehicle tour and experience
  • Fun activities – local night markets
  • Educational and informational activities for public
  • Educational and informational activities for cities and technical groups

These events will be continuously updated in the website page. For more information, please visit the Festival page.

Do I have to register for the activities happening during the Festival? If so, how?

Registration is required for certain tours or activities happening during the Festival. Details of these events will be continuously updated in the website page. For more information, please visit the Festival page.

What benefits will the Festival bring to Hamasen?
  1. Improvement of the Hamasen urban environment to increase living standards by:
    • Leveling of buildings’ arcade to bring pedestrians closer to the shops;
    • Constructing sidewalks to provide a safer walking environment;
    • Replacing overhead cable to underground to restore a skyline view;
    • Providing subsidy on efforts to beautify private vacant land;
    • Improving cleanliness of the urban environment; and
    • Renewing and renovating old buildings through subsidy schemes to restore community vitality.
  2. Improvement of urban mobility in Hamasen by
    • Preventing encroachment of the tourist vehicles into the community space for a safer and spacious living space for the residents;
    • Constructing sufficient parking space, complemented with new electric shuttle buses and higher frequency of transits and connections;
    • Increasing public bicycles and rental stations; and
    • Subsidizing electric vehicle purchases to reduce use and dependence on fuel-based vehicles.
  3. Position Hamasen as an active and livable local environment by
    • Organizing an international Congress and Exhibition that will attract international participants to improve visibility of Hamasen;
    • Promoting Hamasen’s distinctive characteristics, namely artistic ambience, local delicacies, temple streets, cultural tours, historic monuments, school performances and others;
    • Stimulating local business opportunities by attracting domestic and foreign visitors.
How will the locals commute to work or school during the Festival?

Public commute

During the Festival, there will be alternative parking lots bordering the vicinity of the demonstration area for residents. The city will provides high frequency electric buses to move around in the neighborhood, including the parking facility. In addition, cycling, walking, car-pooling, and use of low carbon transport modes are encouraged.

Schools

Within the demonstration district: Pedestrian walkways and road space improvements will allow children to walk safety without having to compete with cars for road space. Shuttle in the area will also transport children to school.

Outside of the demonstration district: During the Festival, there will be alternative parking areas outside the demonstration area for residents. The electric buses that will ply on the neighborhood streets will also connect to the parking areas. Children can then cycle, walk, use city bus or other low-carbon transport modes to school.

What happens during an emergency event?

All emergency vehicles such as ambulance, police cars, fire brigades, rental taxis are allowed to enter the demonstration area. Throughout the Festival, a service center will be set up to provide special service round the clock.

How can businesses deliver goods?

The city understands and acknowledges the need for businesses to get goods and supplies delivered. To meet the needs the city will provide alternative low-carbon transport vehicles, volunteers, or allocating a specific timeframe for passage. For transport of liquefied petroleum gas, medical materials and other emergency purposes, the city will coordinate with the industry to explore various possibilities and feasibility.

Will the businesses be affected?

No.

Concurrent with the month-long Festival is the EcoMobility World Congress 2017, which will be organized in the Hamasen area. Thus a series of cultural activities and events will be organized to attract local and international tourists and participants. During the Festival period, low carbon transport modes will be provided for tourists and locals to move freely and conveniently. It is envisaged that the Festival will attract international attention and tourists, thus providing more opportunities for local businesses.

What legacy will the Festival bring to the Hamasen area?
  1. An improved urban living environment – via adjustment of road space and use patterns; and upgrading living standards of locals;
  2. Locals are given priority to personally experience ecomobilility and its benefits;
  3. Revitalize the locality with social and cultural activities; and business opportunities;
  4. Improve social cohesion through improved use of road space and creation of green community spaces.
I have questions regarding the planning and execution of the Festival, who should I contact?

International

You could email your questions to ecomobilityfestival@iclei.org . Please do note that the international team of ICLEI is based in Bonn, Germany, and there could be delay in replying.

Local

Alternatively, a local office in Hamasen is set up for public consultation and coordination. If you have any questions, please feel free to walk in and the officers on duty will be open to answer your queries.

  • Address            : No. 69, Binhai 1st Road., Gushan District, Kaohsiung City, 80443
  • Opening times: 0830 – 1700
What is the EcoMobility World Congress?

The EcoMobility World Congress is an integral part of the EcoMobility World Festival. It enables local and international actors, united by a shared interest in sustainable transportation, to come together to share good practices and spark synergies in a setting that promotes creative collaboration, local initiatives and ecomobility. City leaders are also gathered to show commitment towards ecomobility through a Declaration. It is envisaged to bring about 500 local and international participants.

A series of sessions in the form of plenary, presentations, workshops, debates, and even KED-Talk (Kaohsiung EcoMobility Talk) are planned to discuss innovative forms of sustainable urban mobility to reduce dependence on personal automobiles or fuel-based vehicles.

Who are the speakers at the Congress?

The Congress will bring together high-level local and international speakers who are city mayors, transport experts, policy makers, and representatives from the international organizations and private sectors working in the transport, urban planning and climate change field. Details of the speakers will be updated in the Congress page once they are available.

Is the Mayors’ track open for general participants?

No, it is by invite only. However, the Mayors’ Roundtable and Closing Plenary to present the Declaration are open for all.

How can I register? What are the registration rates?

You can register here from 1 April to 22 September 2017. At the generosity of our host, there is no registration or participation fee for the Congress.

I just want to attend one session. Is that possible to do without registering for the Congress?

No, all participants irrespective of the number of sessions they intend to attend have to be registered. Being registered enables the organizers to provide information on the congress and festival. Future updates on the festival and future congresses can also be shared with registered participants.

What is the EcoMobility Expo?

Innovative and interesting ecomobile alternatives to the conventional car will be displayed at the EcoMobility International Exhibition, located at the Pier-2 Art Center in Hamasen. The exhibition also allow private companies to showcase their products to cities and offer public to test-ride the vehicles in the Hamasen streets and a dedicated test track.

How can I receive a list of participants or attendees?

The list of participants will be available at the congress. To preserve the privacy of the registered participants, the organizers are not allowed to share the contact details of any participant. The list of participants shared in the congress report will contain only the name, organization and the country of each participant.

What services are available for special needs and requests?

The Congress organizers encourages persons with disabilities to participate in their programs and activities. Please contact ecomobilityfestival@iclei.org no later than 31 August 2017 to request for interpreter services or other accommodations for special needs. If you have dietary preferences, please be sure to mark those on the space provided on the registration form when you register.

Is there funding available to help with travel costs?

ICLEI is unable to assist with travel costs for general participants. Please contact ecomobilityfestival@iclei.org if you have any special request.

Will I receive a certificate of attendance?

Yes, we provide upon request. A registration to the congress is required to obtain a certificate of attendance.

My question is not listed here. Whom do I contact?

Please contact ecomobilityfestival@iclei.org for further assistance.

What is the cancellation policy for the Congress?

All cancellations must be sent via e-mail to ecomobilityfestival@iclei.org.

I am an overseas participant and need a letter of invitation before I can receive my visa. What is the procedure?

Upon registering, the participant may request an invitation letter by emailing ecomobilityfestival@iclei.org .

ICLEI will not supply an invitation letter to unregistered participants, and ICLEI reserves the right to refuse to provide invitation letters for attendees. Please note that ICLEI does not give any further support to the visa application process. Obtaining a visa remains the sole responsibility of the registered participant.

Are there special events that require additional fees at the Congress?

There are no special events that require additional fees.

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