The recently released Atlas of Sustainable City Transport offers groundbreaking insights into urban mobility across the globe. As someone who has been keen about the progress in this field, I find the data both enlightening and challenging to our preconceptions.
Take Wroclaw, Poland, for instance. Without a subway system, it ranks second globally in transit accessibility. This achievement underscores a crucial point: effective mobility solutions don’t always require the most advanced or expensive infrastructure. Instead, Wroclaw’s success stems from a well-planned, extensive network of trams and buses that serves its residents efficiently.
The Atlas introduces nine metrics for sustainable mobility, including residents’ safety from highways and proximity to various transportation options. This multifaceted approach provides a more nuanced understanding of urban transport ecosystems than traditional measures.
The Atlas permits an unprecedented level of insight into sustainable transport around the globe. Starting from a global map, users are able to zoom in on cities and measure all nine indicators for local administrative areas, such as wards or neighborhoods. The indicators include People Safe From Highways; People Near Protected Bikeways; People Near Car-Free Places; People Near Frequent Transport; People Near Rapid Transport, and more. Policymakers at all levels of government may track their city’s (or their country’s) progress up-to-date, easy-to-understand Atlas indicators.
Interestingly, cities like Tel Aviv and Bogotá are setting global standards for transit proximity. Their success challenges the notion that only wealthy, established urban centers can lead in sustainable transport.
The focus on proximity rather than system size is particularly noteworthy. It explains disparities in transit usage between cities with similarly sized systems, such as Dallas and Boston. This metric offers valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers worldwide.
Seattle’s ambitious goal of having two-thirds of households within a 10-minute walk or 5-minute protected bike ride to frequent transit is commendable. It represents a holistic approach to urban mobility that considers not just transit but also supporting infrastructure.
Perhaps most intriguing are the findings on highway safety in African cities. Kigali, Rwanda, tops the list, with 85% of residents living far from highways. This presents an opportunity for developing cities to leapfrog the car-centric mistakes of the past and build more sustainable, people-friendly urban environments from the ground up.
As we navigate the complex challenges of 21st-century urban mobility, it’s clear that innovative thinking and data-driven approaches are key. The Atlas of Sustainable City Transport is not just a resource; it’s a call to action for cities worldwide to reassess and improve their mobility strategies.
