As the European Commission prepares its new European Strategy for Housing Construction, POLIS has issued a clear and timely message: Europe cannot solve its housing challenges without integrating transport, sustainability, and regional cooperation into the heart of the strategy.
POLIS welcomes the Commission’s ambition to strengthen Europe’s housing sector—not only as a driver of economic growth, but as a cornerstone of climate neutrality, infrastructure resilience, and spatial equity. Yet the organisation stresses that housing construction is deeply intertwined with mobility systems, logistics networks, and urban planning decisions. Treating these domains separately would risk inefficiency, higher costs, and missed opportunities for innovation.
To avoid this, POLIS outlines six guiding principles that should frame the forthcoming strategy:
First, recognise the interdependence between construction and transport infrastructure. From material deliveries to workforce mobility and long-term accessibility, construction activity shapes—and is shaped by—urban mobility systems.
Second, promote sustainable urban development through co-design, ensuring that buildings, neighbourhood layouts, and transport networks are planned together rather than in isolation.
Third, prioritise decarbonised, circular, and climate-resilient construction methods, supported by sustainable and smart freight logistics that minimise emissions and local impacts.
Fourth, empower cities and regions with the tools and authority needed to deliver integrated public works and development projects that reflect local realities.
Fifth, ensure that all actions align with the EU’s legal acquis on mobility, avoiding fragmentation and reinforcing consistency across Member States.
Sixth, accelerate the uptake of new mobility solutions, as promoted in the New European Urban Mobility Framework—such as shared mobility, mobility hubs, and innovative logistics concepts.
Building on its extensive experience in local governance, EU-funded innovation projects, and its network of expert working groups, POLIS translates these principles into practical recommendations. One key recommendation is to reduce the environmental, social, and logistical impacts of transporting construction materials and equipment. This requires cleaner vehicles, fewer trips, and more coordinated logistics. POLIS also calls for expanded access to finance to support the transition to clean construction machinery, pairing requirements with incentives that make sustainable choices easier.
Another priority is modernising building permit procedures so that mobility impacts are assessed not only during construction but throughout a development’s lifecycle. This means embedding logistics plans, stakeholder coordination, and mobility standards into the approval process.
POLIS also highlights the need to revise outdated assumptions about private car use. Costly underground parking structures, which often increase traffic and consume valuable space, should give way to neighbourhood parking hubs and shared mobility options that support sustainable transport goals.
The letter further stresses the importance of tackling the compliance gap among non-resident construction vehicles to ensure fair enforcement of local rules and prevent regulatory loopholes.
Finally, digitalisation is identified as a critical enabler. Better digital integration across the construction ecosystem—from logistics planning to resource management—can dramatically improve sustainability, productivity, and alignment with urban mobility systems.
At its core, the European Strategy for Housing Construction represents an opportunity to reshape how Europe builds—not only the homes themselves, but the communities, connections, and mobility systems that make those homes functional and future-proof.
POLIS urges policymakers to seize this moment by placing integration, sustainability, and innovation at the centre of the strategy. A truly forward-looking approach to housing must go beyond delivering dwellings. It must create connected, resilient, and liveable neighbourhoods that reflect Europe’s transition toward sustainable, inclusive, and active mobility.
Such a strategy would not only address today’s housing pressures but also strengthen Europe’s cities and regions for decades to come.
Also read: Review: turning a spotlight on governance for sustainable urban construction logistics.