Mahdia is a seaside city on the east coast of Tunisia on a peninsula at some 100 kilometers from Kairouan. It is the former capital of the Fatimid. Mahdia possesses numerous historical and cultural monuments, what makes it a popular destination, mainly during the summer, for tourists and Tunisians from all parts of the country; in fact, the population of the city quadruples at this period of the year. Henceforth, the city suffers from structural problems of congestion and road security, exacerbated by the additional flow of visitors during the summer, due to an inadequate public transportation system inside and outside the city. Consequently, the residents of Mahdia have resorted massively to individual cars and scooters at the expense of biking and walking.

The municipality of Mahdia is also aware of the economic and environmental benefits that an urban and sustainable mobility policy devised through concertation with the residents would present in terms of enhancement of its touristic potential and the attractiveness of the city and prioritizing mobility and citizen participation.