Olev Parts, City of Tallinn

Meet Olev Parts – Nominated by the City of Tallinn

Leading Tallinn’s daily mobility with vision and purpose 

Olev Parts is a transport policy expert based in Tallinn, Estonia, where he leads the Public Transport Operations and Infrastructure Unit at the City of Tallinn’s Transport Department. With a strong background in engineering and urban mobility planning, Olev oversees the city’s daily public transport operations, including buses, trams, trolleybuses, school buses and night services, as well as key infrastructure such as mobility hubs, timetables and bus stops. 

“My unit is in charge of making sure the public transport system runs smoothly every day - we’re also involved in short-term planning to ensure our decisions align with Tallinn’s long-term strategic goals,” he said.  

Shaping the future of urban transport 

Tallinn’s mobility sector is undergoing rapid transformation and Olev is at the centre of several high-impact projects. These include the expansion of public transport and active travel infrastructure, the development of new tram lines, the redesign of the city’s bus network and the procurement of next-generation electric and battery-powered trolleybuses. 

“We just finished building the harbour tram that connects the main transport nodes - harbour, airport, bus and train stations. Investments into tram infrastructure are going to be very transformative for the public transport sector in Tallinn in the coming years,” he said.  

Olev’s work sits at the intersection of technical expertise and long-term vision. He collaborates closely with the city’s strategic planning unit to implement Tallinn’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP), which outlines an ambitious pathway through to 2035. 

“We work very closely with the strategic planning unit - it’s important to me that the development of the public transport network is data-driven and research-backed,” he said. 

Growing into leadership 

As a young team leader, Olev joined the Emerging Leaders program to further strengthen his leadership capabilities and team management skills. 

“I sometimes find it hard to balance the team lead and the specialist role. Through coaching, I hope to become better at delegating and empowering my team members to be more proactive,” he said.  

Building momentum for change 

Reflecting on the launch of the program, Olev described the experience as inspiring.  

“Seeing that others across Europe are facing the same challenges whether in cities or in leadership was very powerful,” he said.  

For Olev, the Emerging Leaders program is not just about professional growth; it’s about building momentum for change.  

“As civil servants, it’s our responsibility to improve ourselves and our fields. Strong leadership in urban mobility is essential if we want to create systems that truly work — locally and across Europe,” he said.