Sparking active mobility actions for climate-friendly cities (SPARK)

Walking and cycling are often overlooked in city planning, despite their growing importance as the most affordable, resilient, and clean form of transport. The project aims to promote active mobility strategies, policies and practices contributing to avoiding GHG emissions, improving safe connectivity in cities, and promoting climate-friendly mobility behavior. The project highlights active mobility as a priority area for cities and countries for a green recovery through model interventions re-engineering streets and open spaces, raising awareness, developing active mobility policies and recommendations, and inspiring other cities. The project strengthens the city and community-based organization capacity through “tactical urbanism”, multi-stakeholder engagement, encouraging vertical integration and national policy recommendations which will include financial considerations, developing guidelines and toolkits for easy replication and scale-up.

Project data

Countries: Philippines
IKI funding: 789,655.99 €
Duration: 02/2022 till 12/2025
Status: open
Implementing organisation: ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability e.V.
Implementing Partner: ICLEI Southeast Asia Secretariat

Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (iCSC) - Philippines
Online: https://sustainablemobility.iclei.org/spark/

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State of implementation/results

From 02/06/2025 to 05/06/2025, the project partners held a capacity-building workshop with 41 staff members from the city governments of Quezon City and Pasig City, as well as from the Department of Transportation, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and Clean Air Asia.
The SPARK project was presented on multiple international platforms in South-South and North-South dialogues, including at the ADB Water and Urban Development Forum exhibition in Manila in 05/2025 and at the European Cycling Federation’s Velo-City Conference in Gdansk in 06/2025. Further presentations are scheduled for the PATH online symposium (Partnership for Active Travel and Health) and the Transport Climate Change Week in 09/2025, as well as at the WALK21 conference in Tirana in 10/2025.
On 26/03/2025, the Pasig City Government and the SPARK project partners inaugurated the newly redesigned A. Mabini Street as a people-friendly space during a three-month street trial. In 02/2025, over 60 volunteers – including local residents and representatives of community organizations – worked on the street every weekend, enhancing it through street art and crosswalk painting, as well as by installing street furniture. These efforts represent important first steps in making public spaces more accessible and promoting pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly use.
The SPARK project’s methods in Tactical Urbanism are recognized as a best practice for community engagement in projects. Furthermore, the SPARK methodology for assessing walkability and cyclability will be incorporated into the Philippines’ first national Active Transport Strategic Master Plan (ATSMP), as outlined in the national Inception Report.
On 16/01/2025, the project organized the first “Kapihan Session”, a forum where the Green Transport Division (GTD) of Quezon City discussed the city’s active mobility initiatives with stakeholders. The GTD serves as the secretariat of the Non-Motorized Transport Committee, established in 2024. The forum addressed current challenges, presented municipal measures, and outlined plans for 2025, including the launch of the Active Mobility Master Plan, bicycle training courses, new bicycle parking facilities, bike counts, and campaigns for International Women’s Day and National Bike Day.
The National Project Advisory Group of SPARK has started its work, supporting the alignment of the project with national policies and priorities in active mobility and tactical urbanism. Representatives from the national government agencies (DHSUD, NEDA, CCC, and DILG) are actively participating as NPAG members.
In Quezon City, the Green Transport Division has taken on the responsibilities of the Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Committee. In Pasig City, a similar body was established, including a local ordinance to create a technical working group that serves as the city’s NMT Committee. These steps highlight the commitment of local governments to institutionalize support for active mobility.

Latest Update:
12/2025