News items from TheCityFix

 

A red bus passes children in uniforms. Transport and integration with the city is key in providing accessibility for all. Photo by Greg Younger.

Today is the United Nations’ World Habitat Day – a day established to reflect on the state of our cities and towns, and remind us of our shared responsibility for their stewardship. On this day, UN-HABITAT is releasing the 2013 Global Report on Human Settlements focused on the theme of urban mobility. EMBARQ experts contributed the third chapter of the report. In placing urban mobility at the heart of this year’s release, UN-HABITAT recognizes that accessibility and transportation are essential to the functioning of cities everywhere, and ensuring that their citizens are connected to opportunities.

Since the majority of the world’s population now lives in cities, advancing sustainable urban public transport systems has never been more crucial. This challenge is paramount in the developing world, where almost all urban population growth will occur during the next 30 years – the population of cities in developing countries is expected to more than double to nearly 5.2 billion by 2050.

EMBARQ is committed to helping cities make sustainable transport a reality through three simple measures: integration, collaboration, and providing high quality service.

Integrate within the public transport system, with urban form and private modes of transport

Effective integration is one of the biggest challenges to implementing successful transport systems worldwide. In order for high-capacity public transport systems like metro or advanced buses to provide the best economic return for the cities, integration must be achieved within the system, with urban form, and with private motorized and non-motorized modes of transport.

Integration within a public transport system must occur at three levels: physical, operational, and fare. Physical integration enables direct connections from one service to another – seamless transfers make travel simpler for passengers, thus encouraging greater ridership. Operational integration coordinates schedules and frequencies across the system, ensuring that service is always guaranteed and wait times are reasonable. Fare integration provides free or discounted cost transfers. 

Integration of a high-capacity public transport system with the built environment is also essential – public transport and urban form should function in harmony. Several cities, including Singapore and Curitiba, Brazil, have successfully implemented efficient public transport services and developed urban forms that greatly encourage public transport ridership. The better a public transport system is woven into the urban landscape, whether through mixed-use or transit-oriented development, the greater the ease for residents to use the system.

The final cornerstone of integration is connectivity between public transport and private modes of transport, both motorized and non-motorized. By complementing mass transit systems, these connections accommodate various modes of access to public transport, making it safer and more accessible therefore reducing trips by cars and motorcycles, and the traffic congestion they help generate.

Collaborate with institutions at the local, regional, and national levels

Collaboration between institutions at the local, regional, and national levels is particularly vexing in the developing world, where a lack of technical and managerial capacity is often problematic. However, successful peer and benchmarking institutions can serve as useful examples. These include Nova and CoMET, two programs of international railway benchmarking, the International Bus Benchmarking Group (IBBG), a program of urban bus operations benchmarking, and SIBRT, the Latin American Association of Integrated Transport Systems and BRT.

These international institutions underscore the important reality that in the field of sustainable transport, an every man for himself attitude won’t get you very far. Networks are key. The exchange of knowledge and ideas between cities and countries is vital for improving the quality of life of urban residents everywhere.

Provide high quality service

Integration and collaboration, although critical components of public transport systems, will only bring cities part of the way towards achieving sustainable urban mobility on the ground. High quality service must provide the foundation upon which public transport systems are built.

The quality of a public transport system involves travel time, reliability, safety and security, comfort, and user information – all these must be adequately addressed in order to ensure public acceptance of a transport system.

Encouraging more people to switch from private motorized vehicles to trains, buses, bicycles, and sidewalks is the key to unlocking a myriad of benefits: reduced greenhouse gas emissions, better air quality, less traffic congestion, increased road safety, more physical activity, and economic prosperity are all within our grasp. To learn more about UN Habitat and this year’s theme for UN World Habitat Day, see Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility: Global Report on Human Settlements 2013.

Your decision to ride public transport shows that special someone you care about the environment, your health, and that you’ve got great people skills. Photo by Paul Lowry.

Have you ever wondered what message you’re sending that special someone through how you get around? According to a recent survey, you probably should. Out of 2,000 British men and women polled by Motors.co.uk, an online facilitator for buying and selling cars, 48% of men believed that expensive cars made them more attractive, while a majority of women labeled them as “arrogant”. The bottom line of the survey’s results is that fuel efficiency is sexy – the findings showed that driving a less fuel intensive car, like the Toyota Prius or other hybrids, is the best way for individuals to portray themselves as environmentally conscientious, smart, and safe on the road.

Here at TheCityFix, we’re taking these results to the next level – here’s why riding public transport makes you even sexier than that cutie driving a Prius.

Riding public transport shows you care about the environment

We all know that climate change is a big deal. The most recent IPCC report, released last Friday, confirmed that, “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to millennia.” Yikes. So what are you doing about it?

Riding public transport is one of the easiest ways to reduce your environmental impact. In case you haven’t gotten the memo, that’s a cool thing to do. By choosing public transport over a private vehicle, you can help reduce trips made by cars or motorcycles, greenhouse gas emissions, and traffic congestion – all at the same time. Further, you’ll be contributing to making your city a more livable place through better air quality and less noise pollution.

You care about your health, too

If your chosen mode of transport includes vigorous physical activity, like bicycling or walking, you’re already reaping the many benefits of exercise. While the physical benefits range from weight loss to better functioning of the body’s systems, important mental benefits include a lower risk of depression and anxiety, and a generally improved mood.

Even those who use public transport for the majority of their daily commute, and walk or bike the remaining distance to their destination, get more physical activity than those who travel exclusively by private vehicle. They’re also closer to getting the recommended 20 minutes of daily exercise than car users. Although it may be a positive externality of public transport, effective systems encourage a healthier lifestyle, which we think just might help you score your next date.

You’ve got better people skills

We’ve all experienced occasional annoyances on public transit, but hey, those moments gave you great stories to tell at happy hour, and taught you how to deal with all sorts of folks. You’ve developed better people skills as a result of riding public transport, because you’re constantly engaging with new people. Although it’s true that many passengers get sucked in by their iPhones or the latest Game of Thrones book, there’s still a sense of camaraderie on public transport that can’t be replaced by sitting alone in a traffic jam.

Through using mass transit, you’re strengthening your community ties – a good indication that you’ll be a good partner in a relationship. Plus, you never know when you might meet that next sweetheart. Some cities, like Prague, are even introducing singles cars to their metro systems. Just remember to be considerate of other riders, as public displays of affection aren’t tolerated everywhere. In September, lovebirds who were overly affectionate prompted a Vienna transport authority to go so far as issuing a statement that kissing on public transport is rude.

Keep these three reasons in mind as you’re traveling home on public transport tonight, and we promise you’ll get a boost of confidence – just in time for the weekend.

Gandhi held many ideals that remain relevant to issues in sustainable urban transport and urban planning today. Photo by Art Around.

Yesterday, India celebrated the 144th birth anniversary of its greatest leader, Mahatma Gandhi, a visionary whose fundamental principles and vision are universally applicable – especially to sustainable transport. As an individual working in this field, I felt I must share my interpretation and compiled wisdom about Gandhi, his philosophy, and its relevance to the sustainable transport sector.

Gandhi was strong supporter of cycling and walking, who can perhaps be credited with starting the sustainable transport movement in India. In his book Hind Swaraj, he defined the principle of sustainability as, “More from less for more”. I would like to share a few anecdotes about Gandhi, and some of his famous quotes, because they reflect his concern and vision for a great cause: sustainable urban mobility.

Gandhi’s daily routine embraced sustainable modes of transport

Gandhi’s daily routine included walking nearly 18 kilometers (11.2 miles). He averaged 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) during the Dandi march, and walked a total of almost 80,000 kilometers (49,710 miles) throughout his campaigns from 1913 to 1938. That’s enough to walk around the world twice! Gandhi loved walking and often called it the “prince of exercises”. As a student in London, he saved money by walking several miles every day.

Gandhi also had a strong passion for cycling. When he moved to Ahmedabad in 1915, he rode his bicycle from Gujarat Vidyapith to Sabarmati Ashram. In Johannesburg, South Africa, he was the first person to oppose and protest a law which discriminated against people cycling on the streets. He wrote in the journal Indian Opinion opposing a move by the Johannesburg Town Council requiring every native who held a cycle permit and rode a cycle within the municipal area to wear a numbered badge on his left arm. Interestingly, two post-independence laws, the Delhi Municipal Act of 1960 and Punjab Cycle Rickshaw Act of 1976, kept similar restrictions and licensing systems in place for cycle rickshaws until this year – they were recently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of India.

Using walking to organize

Gandhi’s famous Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, began with the Dandi March on March 12,1930. This march became an important symbol of the Indian independence movement. As he traveled on the 24-day-long, 390 kilometer (240 mile) march to produce salt without paying a tax imposed by the British, a growing number of Indians joined him along the way. When he broke the salt laws at 6:30 am on April 6, 1930, it sparked widespread acts of civil disobedience against the British Raj salt laws by millions of Indians. Simply put, Gandhi used walking as a tool to organize his fellow Indians.

Gandhi continually emphasized the importance of walking and cycling. When asked for advice, he once told someone, “I hope you are careful about eating. You may use a bicycle, but you should also walk daily”. After a small incident on bicycle Gandhi wrote to his friend about bicycle maintenance, “The bicycle incident yesterday was not a happy one. A carpenter will always keep his tools ready for use. A typist will keep his typewriter in good repair and a rider will keep his horse in good stead. Similarly a bicycle should always be kept clean, oiled and ready for use. Otherwise don’t have a bicycle at all”. Another time, Gandhi wrote to a friend, “If, however, you are determined to work in the city, you should stay in the city. You are not strong enough to go to the city and return on bicycle”. With this comment, Gandhi referenced the size of cities and their human scale.

Applying Gandhi’s principles to urban planning

Today’s urban planning is dominated by motorized vehicles, and as a result, the distance we travel between work and home is constantly increasing. The quote above from Gandhi reflects his concern for better urban planning, and where people should live. Today most of our Indian cities face similar challenges. Gandhi’s principle, “More from Less for More” (MLM) is all about getting greater performance from fewer resources for more people, and not just for bigger profits – this principle should be followed with the goals of creating a more equitable society and realizing a sustainable future for mankind in mind. That’s what Gandhi would want us to aim for in today’s urban planning.

It’s impossible to imagine what might have happened if had India followed Gandhi’s ideals on sustainable transport and urban planning from its founding, and given support to the local informal sector, which includes non-motorized transport. Although it’s sad to see that none of the principles given by Gandhi are currently being adopted into India’s transportation policies, it’s not too late to implement them. It’s time for India to revive the spirit of our cities by examining the strengths and weaknesses our own existing transport system, rather than blindly accepting all western models. It is high time we act in order to create a sustainable future for our present and future generations by practicing the principles of someone whose vision was way ahead of his time.

This post is a cross post from the author’s blog. Navdeep Asija is the founder of Ecocabs, a cycle rickshaw service available by telephone, and the 2011 recipient of the National Award of Excellence from India’s Ministry of Urban Development.

Using successful communications and marketing strategies is an important way to increase the visibility of sustainable public transport systems. Photo by Caribb.

Consider McDonald’s golden arches for a moment. Now think about the Nike swoosh, or Apple’s, well, apple. There’s no denying that the power of branding and marketing is immense. For those of us in the sustainable urban transport world, we can take lessons from giants like McDonald’s, Nike, and Apple, and apply them to public transit systems. L.A. Metro has done it, and others are ready to follow. Let’s make it the norm to have strong, dynamic, playful brands that entice you to ride public transport.

This Friday I have been invited to speak at the Quebec Urban Transport Conference (Colloque de l’Association du Transport Urbain du Québec) on successful influence strategies for public transport operators. This post focuses on lessons learned on the ground (EMBARQ has teams in six countries), gives you a sneak peak of my presentation, and leaves you with three building blocks of marketing sustainable transport.

Market public transport to attract, retain, and secure

The motivation behind a public transport marketing scheme must be clear and focused to be effective. For each campaign, public transport operators must keep three simple goals individually or collectively in mind – attract new users, retain current users, and secure support from government and civil society leaders.

To make public transport the best way to go, transport operators need to cater to the people contributing to the congestion of your city’s streets with private vehicles right now. Influence strategies must be targeted to regular car (or motorcycle) users in order to attract them to public transport. However, operators can’t afford the luxury of overlooking current users. They are today’s riders, and you have got to keep them happy and informed. Above all, you need to listen to their feedback in order to keep improving the quality of your transport system. Finally, influence strategies need also to secure support from city leaders and civil society so that sustainable public transport is appropriately funded, and benefits all in the city.

Next, let’s look at three of the eight building blocks I will discuss at the ATUQ conference:

Stay on brand! (It’s more than a logo)

The first building block of marketing sustainable transport is brand and identity. Remember the golden arches? That’s what public transport systems need – a strong brand. As the author of The Brand Gap Marty Neumeier has said, “A brand is not a logo. A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or company.”

When crafting a brand, public transport operators should choose to stand out from the crowd. A bold, visually appealing brand should engage passengers not only through a logo, typeface, and color scheme, but also through the design of vehicles and stations across the system. See the L.A. Metro for a great example. Once a brand is developed, it’s crucial to unify all parts of the system through always adhering to the brand. If you’re not launching a completely new brand, but transitioning to a new version of an existing one, then pay attention to the details of the transition: the success of your rebranding will be driven by how well you communicate during this process.  Personally, I would advocate for a soft transition to the new brand, instead of a “big bang” approach where you trash your all communications material and replace them with completely new material overnight. Change takes time, and you should walk your users through the visual transformation of your system.

Listen! Build a strong internal communications system

Transport operators have lots of employees who often reflect the demographics of their users, and they are in contact daily with riders. Listen to them! When you create a system that truly listens to your employees, use it to provide them with updates on how you’re changing their agency. They’ll help you put your best face forward.

Over communicate with your users

If passengers don’t understand the services you provide, they won’t use them. User education is key, and not just when you launch a new service, metro line, or bus corridor. EMBARQ Brazil has been very successful at helping operators market their Bus Rapid Transit systems.  Check out TheCityFix Brasil to learn more about Experiência BRT. The first rule of thumb for user education is that it’s never too early to educate passengers about a new project or service – just make sure to answer the right questions: who, what, where, when, how, and why. By doing so, public transport operators can make their systems familiar to city residents. Information kiosks, station ambassadors, outreach in schools (kids are excellent messengers for informing a wider group of people, starting with their families), and local news segments are other good ways to engage your community and increase the visibility of your system.

I will be posting my presentation on EMBARQ’s SlideShare shortly after the conference. Feel free to leave me your comments here about the best communications and marketing practices of public transport systems you’ve experienced yourself!

Big news for fans of Bus Rapid Transit and busways – there are now over 300 bus corridors around the world. ViveBus in Chihuahua, Mexico put the total over 300 when it launched this year. Advanced bus systems have now spread to 163 cities in 38 countries, totaling 305 corridors. There are now 4,256 kilometers (2,645 miles) of lanes dedicated to this burgeoning transport mode. The update was released this week in BRTData.org, a database that collects information on BRT and bus lanes on every continent.

The increase in advanced bus systems and corridors around the world marks a monumental shift in attitudes and approaches over the past 20 years. Though busways were installed in a few cities – such as Lima and Curitiba – as early as the 1970s, advanced bus systems didn’t really take off until several years later. Beginning in the early 1990s, advanced bus corridors began to be built around the world in earnest.

Rapidly developing countries have made the most use out of these new ways to move people towards job opportunities, leisure activities, or closer to their families. Latin American countries have built BRTs in over 55 cities, serving 18.33 million people every day. Asian countries have built BRT corridors in 33 cities, which serve over 8 million people every day. The affordability and speed of construction for BRT lines in comparison with the construction costs of rail systems (metros, or light rail) have made it a clear choice for developing countries with rapidly growing populations and transport needs.

The 300th corridor, built in Chihuahua, will serve a city with about 820,000 inhabitants, which previously had one car for every two people. It is hoped the new line, which already serves 150,000 passengers every day, will help to wean Chihuahua residents off of their vehicle dependence, improve air quality, and relieve traffic congestion.

 

BRT Data

BRTData.org was launched one year ago to track the progress of BRTs around the world. It represents the combined efforts of four global organizations: Across Latitudes and Cultures – Bus Rapid Transit  (ALC-BRT); EMBARQ, the sustainable transport and urban planning program of the World Resources Institute (and producer of this blog);  The Latin American Association of Integrated Systems and BRT (SIBRT) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). BRTData.org aims to increase community access to sustainable transport data on BRT and bus lanes worldwide. BRTData can be used by anyone, and provides data compiled from a wide range of other sources, including researchers, transit agencies, municipalities and non-governmental organizations. With BRT data so readily available, it will be easy to continue to track the meteoric rise of advanced bus systems around the globe.

This post is based on a post originally published in Portuguese on TheCityFix Brazil by Luisa Zottis.

Two girls are cut off from the rest of their city by large highways and poor public transport. Image from Overdrive.

Two girls sit on a swing set, their enormous smiles offsetting the disturbing scenery behind them – miles of highways surrounding their homes. Like 9 out of 10 of Istanbul’s citizens, their family doesn’t own a car. One girl explains, “There is a road, but there is no transportation. There are no buses – the municipality doesn’t provide them.”

This powerful scene is one of many in Aslihan Unaldi’s full-length documentary Overdrive, to be featured at the Urb4nize festival next week. The film tells the story of Istanbul’s accelerated population growth and car-centric policies, which have deepened inequalities between those who drive, and those who don’t.

Since the film’s release in 2011, Istanbul has made strides towards improving public transport. But the challenges Istanbul faces in the film are not unique to Turkey. Population growth and debilitating congestion are problems confronting developing cities on every continent, as municipalities struggle to reconcile decades of car-centric development with the needs of their citizens.

One solution, which 160 cities around the globe – including Istanbul – have turned to, is to build a bus rapid transit system. Cheaper to implement than a metro, but similarly effective at moving passengers across the city, BRT systems offer relief for cities which previously lacked high quality public transport.

In 2011, Istanbul was just beginning to ramp up its BRT. The expanded BRT, the third leg of which was launched in 2012, is now one of the more heavily used advanced bus systems in the world, serving 800,000 passengers daily.

Istanbul’s BRT and other efforts to provide public transport, including improving the network of bike paths across the city, have improved the situation since the film was made in 2011. However, the message of “Overdrive” is still relevant. By sharing the stories of those who deal with the inequity of transport every day, the film puts a human face on an issue that can sometimes feel too broad or abstract. If you don’t own a car in these cities, you don’t have access to a job; you don’t have access to education. This reinforces the detrimental notion that the car should be a status symbol.

Transport is not just about moving faster, or even how you move. It’s not just about replacing the car. It’s about giving access to people. It’s about equality. This movie explores the extreme inequality faced by those without access to good, reliable transport. In the trailer for the film, a Turkish woman confesses to the camera that she spends six hours a day on transport. “Can be more,” she adds.

Lack of access is a problem that pervades cities around the world. Though transport options – such as advanced bus systems – are rapidly expanding, we have to consider the two girls on the swings from Overdrive. They live in Sultanbeyli, a neighborhood of 1 million residents on the Asian side of Istanbul. Their home is next to the Trans-European Motorway, one of the biggest expressways in the city. They are not connected to the BRT. The bus they take is often so crowded, the doors break.

So long as we build cities to move cars instead of people, there will be inequality of access. With millions of citizens wasting several hours a day on poor public transport, it is impossible for developing cities to realize their full economic potential. Citizens without a car will be marginalized, trapped, and undervalued until we build our cities so that all citizens can bicycle, walk, or ride the bus with ease.

Overdrive – Produced in 2011 by EMBARQ – will be screening this October at the Urb4nize festival in Vienna, a ten day affair running October 4 – 13. The festival seeks to celebrate and discuss ways to build ideal cities.

Coruscant - Star Wars

The Galactic City at sunset. Photo courtesy of Wookieepedia.

The Star Wars city of Coruscant is so massive, it requires a new urban planning term: “ecumenopolis” – a city that covers the entire planet. The capital of the galaxy for millennia, Coruscant gives a whole new meaning to the idea of megacities. A visit to this planet would help show how dense a city can be – Coruscant certainly knows how to build up! But we would be saddened by a disturbing lack of green space. We can only assume all of Coruscant’s food is imported from other planets, since there’s certainly no farmland left. Now that’s urban sprawl.

The Shire – The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings

Photo by Evgenij Lem.

After yesterday’s post about biophilic cities, we’re excited about green walls, green roofs, and pocket parks. But JRR Tolkien’s Hobbits know better than anyone how to integrate nature into their “urban environment.” Forget green walls – how about a hobbit hole? You can even learn how to build your own.

Gallifrey  - Doctor Who

Gallifrey in the Doctor Who episode, “The Sound of Drums.” Photo courtesy of Tardis Data Core – Wikia.

In addition to keeping time for the universe, the Time Lords of Gallifrey seem to have a pretty good understanding of urban development. Their compact city has absolutely no sprawl – instead, the Capitol is bounded by an enormous transparent dome. As visitors we could expect to enjoy beautiful views of the planet’s strange red foliage and stunning mountains.

The Emerald City – The Wizard of Oz

Original illustration by William Wallace Denslow for L Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Scan by BibliOddessy.

Nothing says green city quite like the Emerald City of Oz. Although one might argue that it’s more of a “green wash” than a city filled with plant and animal life, we could help these already green residents make their city more sustainable with beautiful green walls and natural public spaces. Hot air balloon as a mode of transport is pretty cool too.

Hogsmeade – Harry Potter

Hogsmeade at Harry Potter World. Photo by Molly.

More of a small town than a city, we have just one reason to visit Hogsmeade – butter beer! That, and the sustainable transport options galore. From taking the train at Hogsmeade station to the walkability of the town, to truly alternative modes of transport like the tunnel running from the shrieking shack to the edge of Hogsmeade for the more adventurous visitors, this town has it all.

Innovative “park connectors” through the urban tree canopy have helped Singapore become “a city in a garden.” Photo courtesy of Biophilic Cities Project.

We need nature even more these days. As more people live in cities, nature offers a potent remedy to many of the environmental, economic, and emotional challenges presented by urban living. To address this, a new approach to urbanism has arisen – a “biophilic” urbanism – based on the assumption that contact with nature and the natural world is absolutely essential to modern urban life.

Central to this vision for future cities is the concept of “biophilia” – popularized by Harvard biologist and entomologist E.O. Wilson. He defines biophilia as “the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms.” He argues that humans carry with us our “ancient brains,” so it is no wonder that we are happier, more relaxed, and more productive in the presence of nature. The evidence is mounting, that we are likely to be more resilient and more creative when we live and work in the presence of nature. Some studies even show we are more likely to exhibit generosity when nature is near. As we examine the presence of plant and animal life in cities, it is becoming increasingly clear that nature is not optional but essential.

What is a Biophilic City?

A biophilic city is a city which successfully integrates nature into the urban landscape, from trees and parks, to vertical gardens and green rooftops. A city can become more biophilic through something as tiny as San Francisco’s parklets, or as major as Wellington, New Zealand’s enormous network of parks and marine life. A biophilic city nurtures and celebrates its biodiversity and wildness, from birds to wildflowers to the invertebrate life that inhabits the city.

Cities around the world are discovering creative ways to do this. Singapore, for instance, is working to integrate nature into denser, vertical urban environments, through a mix of regulations, subsidies, and research and development. Green walls and rooftops, an urban trails network – known as “park connectors”- impressively restored urban waterways, and schoolyard gardens are some of the ways Singapore has brought about its vision to be a “city in a garden.”

Why do we need biophilic cities?

Places like Mexico City – that invest in large green walls and rooftops gardens – reap the benefits of improved air quality and food security.  Rio de Janeiro’s Tijuca forest – the world’s largest urban forest – has been essential is protecting the city’s water supply. In cities like Manila or Mumbai, protecting and restoring mangroves makes sense in terms of adaptation to storm surges and sea level rise. Making a city more biophilic will make it more resilient and sustainable.

These green elements will help us to shade and cool urban environments, to conserve water and energy, and to produce at least some of the food our growing planet is going to need.

Biophilic cities make our urban centers more resilient, and deliver emotional value for urban residents as well. Exposure to nature helps to make both cities and urban residents more resilient in the face of a host of likely pressures and shocks. My notion of a Biophilic city extends beyond the presence of nature to how residents engage with that nature – and how much we know and care about it. Urban biodiversity is necessary but not sufficient when creating a biophilic city. Biophilic cities need citizens who seek to enjoy, visit, and celebrate the nature found in the urban environment.

There are now many creative ideas for nudging urbanites in these directions, from summer camping in urban parks, to free kayaking on city rivers, to school-based initiatives that cultivate a love of nature in children at an early age. The innovative School of Ants – a citizen-science driven study of urban ant species- has produced a terrific urban guide to ants, a kind of flow chart to help children with the complex task of identifying different species. Experiments like these are instrumental in encouraging a love for biodiversity from a young age.

The Biophilic Cities Project

Our Biophilic Cities Project, based in the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, has been underway for the past two years. With funding from the Washington DC-based Summit Foundation, and the Mitchell Foundation, we have been exploring the many creative ways in which cities integrate nature. By developing metrics for understanding urban nature, we can measure and document the many different ways cities provide connections to the natural world.

Much of this work has focused on exploring what a biophilic city is, or could be. We ask – what does it look like and feel like?  By assembling data and GIS layers for Biophilic cities around the globe, we attempt to understand how a city can protect and plan for nature in the urban landscape.

While we are already impressed with the variety of programs, projects, and planning efforts in cities around the world, there remain a number of important open questions:

How much and what kind of nature is needed in cities? What combination of these natural experiences will deliver the greatest health and psychological benefits? “What is the minimum daily requirement of nature?” we sometimes provocatively ask.  And what urban tools, techniques and strategies will be most effective at ensuring this nature exists in our urban future?

The next chapter in our work will involve expanding the community of planners, designers, public officials, and citizens interested in creating biophilic cities, as well as the geographical reach of the project. We will be convening our partner cities and launching this global biophilic cities network this coming October 17-20, at the University of Virginia.

Dr. Timothy Beatley is an internationally recognized sustainable cities researcher and author. Much of Beatley’s work focuses on the creative strategies by which cities and towns can fundamentally reduce their ecological footprints, while at the same time becoming more livable and equitable places. His most recent book is Biophilic Cities: Integrating Nature into Urban Design and Planning, which argues that cities can and must be designed to permit daily contact with the natural world.

Beatley is a Professor of Sustainable Communities, in the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning at the University of Virginia, where he has taught for the last twenty-five years.

For more information about how you can encourage your city to become more biophilic, contact Tim Beatley at beatley@virginia.edu.

Chronic traffic congestion is one of many negative impacts resulting from an urban reliance on private automobiles. Photo by Mike Wegner.

This is the inaugural post of a new “Sustainable Urban Transport On The Move” blog series, exclusive to TheCityFix.

Ever since the mass production of automobiles began nearly a century ago, the prevailing paradigm in urban transport has been the domination of private cars. At first, the freedom and speed made possible by cars spurred great strides forward in quality of life and economic prosperity. As decades passed, however, reliance on the automobile generated increasingly negative impacts including air pollution, chronic congestion, traffic accidents, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and social exclusion. These challenges have pushed human society to a tipping point. The mobility of people and goods requires a more economically efficient, socially inclusive, and environmentally friendly system. The question is – how quickly can we achieve this transformation?

This “On The Move” series is dedicated to analyzing on-the-ground efforts to shift urban transport from moving cars to moving people. We propose the consideration of a new normal, in which cars are part of urban mobility, but not the main feature of our cities. The series will present emerging, trendy, and mainstream solutions leading this transition, and track progress being made by cities already adopting measures to enhance accessibility. We will focus on strategies that help avoid unnecessary trips, shorten the length of necessary trips, and encourage more sustainable modes of mobility, such as walking, biking, and public transport. By presenting the latest data and evidence, On The Move will showcase the increasing variety of popular alternative urban transport methods. Finally, we’ll argue for the establishment of bolder enabling policies, increased participation by the private sector, and greater public support for innovations in sustainable urban mobility.

This project was partially funded by a grant from Shell. The content of all posts is the sole responsibility of the author.

Why we need a paradigm shift in urban mobility

Transport systems are vital for economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, the status quo of today’s urban transport systems has generated crippling negative impacts to our society. The transport sector emits 14.5 percent of global green house gases (GHG) emissions. If we continue in the direction of increased private car motorization, energy consumption and GHG emissions from transport will increase 80% by 2050. The majority of emissions will come from cities – where over half of the world’s population now lives. Private motorized travel (cars, motorcycles…) is expected to account for 90% of the emissions growth from urban transport, a rapid expansion that would contribute to worsening air pollution and road safety problems in cities. Currently, over 2 million people die prematurely every year from air pollution, and more than 1.2 million people are killed every year from traffic accidents. Furthermore, the economic loss from chronic congestion, air pollution, and road safety is as high as 10% of GDP. In the face of unprecedented urbanization and motorization, these shocking figures have almost been accepted as business as usual.

Chart by EMBARQ.

In order to reverse the unsustainable trends depicted above, there must be a conscious, global effort to avoid unnecessary trips, shift necessary trips to the most efficient modes of transport, and improve the energy efficiency of transport systems and vehicle operations for the necessary trips.

Three terms to remember for the A-S-I framework: Avoid, Shift, and Improve

Improving vehicle technologies has already contributed to increased energy efficiency and reduced emissions from the transport sector. However, these efforts still fall short of our need to keep global temperature increase below two degrees by 2050 – a climate change scenario known as the 2°C Scenario, or 2DS. The International Energy Agency has also analyzed a 4°C Scenario (4DS) and 6°C Scenario (6DS), the effects of which would be even more harmful than 2DS.

The daunting implications of these climate change scenarios are why the transport sector needs to avoid, shift, and improve. These actions produce benefits including reduced traffic fatalities, increased physical activity, better air quality, and more equitable transport options, all of which enhance the accessibility, affordability, and quality of life in cities. Further, it makes economic sense to reduce expenditures in fuel, vehicles, and road infrastructure – and to do so as quickly as possible. Research by the International Energy Agency reveals that savings will be about $50 trillion USD more in the 2°C climate change scenario than in the 4°C scenario.

In this blog series (this is just the first post), we’ll share emerging positive trends from across the transport sector, and document best practices for the avoid, shift, and improve framework, which we argue are moving urban mobility towards a new norm.

Comparing mobility in emerging and industrialized economies

Implementing avoid, shift, and improve strategies in countries with emerging economies requires a shift away from the prevailing car-oriented development that has become standard in industrialized economies. Important factors that will impact the success of these strategies in the developing world include consumer preferences, culture, and the cost and quality of alternatives to private vehicle ownership.

It’s also crucial for countries with industrialized economies to improve their transport behavior, with a particular focus on modifying vehicle technologies and types of fuel. The choices that cities in both the developing and developed world make regarding mobility and urban development will have profound impacts in the long run.

Stay tuned for the next On The Move blog post, which will examine behavior and preferences among the younger generations.

Improving safety for bicyclists is a major concern of São Paulo locals. Photo by Paulo Fehlauer.

Innovative and sustainable urban mobility is in the spotlight this week in São Paulo, Brazil, after the Virada Da Mobilidade (Turn of Mobility) alternative transport festival concluded yesterday. The good news from São Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, is that bicycles and public bus transport systems are emerging as top players on city streets – including bike sharing systems and dedicated bus lanes. However, locals have plenty of suggestions for how the city can still improve its transport infrastructure to make it easier for residents to incorporate sustainable mobility options into their daily lives.

Hitting the streets during Turn of Mobility events between September 17 and September 23, TheCityFix Brasil team asked São Paulo locals what their ideal city to live in would be like. Although the residents’ responses were varied, the overarching theme of their comments indicates a great public desire for higher quality integrated transport options.

Here’s what some residents had to say.

“As a car user, I would like to see more parking available near the metro so I can take advantage of both systems. It would help me come and go more easily if there was better connectivity between different modes of transport.” Angelica Ribeiro, 40, manager 

“We have very few bike lanes compared to the actual size of the city. For example, to return our shared bikes we have to go all the way to the other side of Ibirapuera Park. I use my private car everday because the roads don’t provide safe conditions for cyclists. There is a great risk of accidents and poor infrastructure for cyclists in the workplace – like showers and changing rooms. As for the bus, the quality of service must be improved.” Luis Villardo, 36, sales representative

Villardo and his two children use the bike share system sparingly, due to the uncertainty of cycling on the streets. Photo by Luisa Zottis.

“I’d like to see a city with more public transport lanes, buses circling the city 24 hours a day, and more bike paths. Designated motorcycle lanes would also be an interesting way to reduce accidents in São Paulo. I believe that the right proposals are on the table, but take too long to get off the ground.” Assumption Raul, 22, journalist

Raul is an avid user of public transport, and a cyclist. Photo by Luisa Zottis.

“I want more respect for pedestrians and cyclists; that’s why I cling to my bike. I also use the bus – we need more people taking public transport and less traffic. It takes me two hours to get to and from [the central area] Interlagos.” Paula Telles, 27, systems analyst 

“What’s missing in this city is infrastructure for bikes. The situation is improving, but it’s still disrespectful to cyclists. Having all the options of a bus, bicycle, and subway is amazing, but the structure could still be improved. Here in the metro, I have to carry my bike downstairs on my shoulder because [the planners] didn’t think about it. An older person might not be able to do that. But I still cycle every time I leave the house, and do not intend to stop. It’s not impossible to walk, but that’s another difficulty because of the poor quality of the sidewalks. What about people in wheelchairs? It’s tricky.” Fernanda Machado, 28, designer

Machado waiting for the subway at Faria Lima station on Line 4 – Yellow. Photo by Luisa Zottis.

The concerns of these São Paulo locals regarding the safety and quality of public transport systems have been echoed recently in other cities in Latin America, and it’s no secret that Brazil faces significant infrastructure challenges. What’s important is that citizens in São Paulo and beyond are calling for change to the status quo of urban gridlock. Through creative, collaborative actions like the Turn of Mobility festival, urban residents everywhere can move forward towards making sustainable transport options a reality in their cities.

This post is based on a post originally published on TheCityFixBrasil by Luisa Zottis.

Children enjoy the festivities of the EcoMobility World Festival in Suwon, South Korea. Photo by Carlos Felipe Pardo.

As the EcoMobility World Festival enters its final week in Suwon, South Korea, questions arise about the future of the city’s Haenggung-dong neighborhood. With over 4,300 residents, Haenggung-dong is one of Suwon’s most crowded neighborhoods, and has been a car-free zone for the whole month of September. Halfway into the month-long festival Haenggung-dong was 95% car-free, an impressive feat considering how difficult it can be to convince people to use alternatives to cars. The question is, will pedestrians and eco-friendly vehicles continue to dominate once the experiment draws to a close?

Although the festival initially encountered generous skepticism and opposition, many Haenggung-dong residents have now grown to prefer an ecomobile lifestyle. Replacing cars with broad pedestrian walkways, bicycle lanes, and other creative, sustainable vehicles has created a vibrant and people-oriented environment. Visitors have also enjoyed exploring all that a car-free neighborhood has to offer – the latest statistics revealed that over 310,000 people have already visited Haenggung-dong this month. The warming of residents and visitors alike to an innovative, ecomobile environment is an important shift in perceptions and behavior that other cities can take a cue from.

Business booms in a car-free neighborhood

A major reason cited by Haenggung-dong residents for their original criticism of the festival was a perceived risk to their livelihoods. Shopkeepers were particularly outspoken in their opposition to the experiment. Lee Young-Son, the owner of a favorite local cafeteria primarily patronized by taxi drivers, feared that she would lose her source of income during the month of September. A popular hairdresser had similar concerns about her regular customers taking their business elsewhere, and initially flew a banner opposing the festival in front of her shop.

“If I were just a resident, I would not oppose the festival,” Lee said. “Why would I, if I could see improvements in the neighborhood such as safer, wider streets, cleaner, fresher air and less noise? But I am a shop owner whose main source of income lies in having taxi drivers visit my shop.”

Despite their concerns, both Lee and the hairdresser were surprised when the number of customers visiting their businesses drastically increased during the festival. Lee’s business grew so much that she had to hire additional workers, and the shop generated more revenue during the first two weeks of September than it did during the entire previous month. The hairdresser’s regular customers not only continued to visit her shop, but new customers also discovered her as a result of visiting the festival. Now, the hairdresser is a major proponent of an ecomobile Haenggung-dong. Although Lee is very satisfied by September’s profit, she still harbors a wait-and-see attitude in regards to making the Haenggung-dong neighborhood permanently car free. “I now believe that it is useful to do this exercise for a month. But I am not sure if it can be retained for longer. We will have to see, but I am willing to try.”

The stories of these Haenggung-dong business owners are reminiscent of shopkeepers in Arequipa, Peru, whose perceptions also changed to favor the transformation of “calle Mercaderes” (Mercaderes street) to a pedestrian corridor or businesses in Istanbul’s Historic Peninsula.

Haenggung-dong revitalized

In addition to the business boom Haenggung-dong has experienced as a result of the EcoMobility World Festival, the air quality and noise levels of the neighborhood have also significantly improved. These indicators, which enhance the vibrancy of the neighborhood, are characteristic of the revitalization that creating car-free zones can spark.

“We are starting to reap the fruits of our hard work,” said Suwon City Mayor Yeom Tae-young. “More and more people are waking up to the fact that there are both tangible and intangible benefits of an ecomobile lifestyle. For example, many are now discovering the full potential of streets – without cars, streets can be turned into safe pedestrian havens, playing grounds for children, and much more.”

Doo Chang Wuk and Doo, Myeong Hee are two Haenggung-dong residents who can attest to the benefits of their newly car-free neighborhood. Although they used to be frequent car users, since the beginning of the festival they have discovered the perks of alternative transport methods like walking and bicycling. Doo, a retired employee of South Korea’s Ministry for Education, stressed in a recent interview the importance of raising awareness among children and adults alike regarding the positive health, environmental, and social benefits of living an ecomobile lifestyle. He also suggested that Suwon’s car-free zone be expanded across additional neighborhoods.

Suwon leads the way in sustainable urban mobility

With the popular support of many Suwon residents behind the EcoMobility World Festival, what happens when it concludes on September 30th? The lasting impact of this month-long experiment will be determined by the urban dwellers themselves, said Mayor Yeom. “Whether or not this new ecomobile lifestyle will be continued will be entirely up to the residents,” he stated. He also shared optimism that the project would not only inspire residents in Haenggung-dong to continue using eco-friendly transport options, but also catalyze actions elsewhere.

As part of this mission to stand alongside international partners and efforts to raise awareness about sustainable transport options, Mayor Yeom signed the European Mobility Week charter last May. European Mobility Week, which took place from September 16 to September 22 this year, is a major annual campaign for sustainable urban mobility with over 2,000 participating cities in 43 countries. Although European Mobility Week occurs on a broader, more regional scale than the EcoMobility World Festival currently does, Suwon has taken a bold step forward in implementing sustainable transport options. Haenggung-dong’s month long car-free experiment, and the aftermath that is soon to come, is a pioneering example for cities in Asia, Europe and beyond.

It can be disorienting to view familiar cities from above. The details that seem to define cities while we move through them on the ground are missing. Instead, shapes representing streets and buildings emerge, almost abstract. But we can tell a lot from these bird’s eye views afforded by cameras and helicopters.  An overhead view of New York City, for example, shows the beauty of central park as an enormous public green space:

Central Park from above. Photo by Sergey Semenov.

Green space isn’t the only aspect of an urban landscape we can view from above. These overhead shots tell critical stories about road safety, the scale of public spaces, and the footprints of our cities. Cities with strict planning regulations preventing sprawl are surrounded by beautiful scenery and fertile farmland. These cities, though tightly packed, stop at the edge of the city limits. Nördlingen, Germany is a perfect example of this kind of planning.

More often, cities lack these kinds of regulations, and the city sprawls out, as far as the bird’s-eye can see. In some regions, where urban sprawl is unintentionally encouraged by the current planning regulations or legal system, sprawl is the most striking quality of the overhead view.

Take this image of Mexico, for instance, which crawled to the front page of Reddit several months ago, startling viewers with miles of houses. Or the image of Shanghai, below, showing a city that has exploded outward over the past two decades. In the upper right hand corner, you can see the bund, Shanghai’s most famous landmark which looked drastically different twenty years ago. Shanghai has grown both upward and outward.

Shanghai from above. Photo by Mike Hedge.

Some cities, when viewed from above, demonstrate a beautiful geometry, such as Pierre L’Enfant’s  adapted grid of Washington D.C. But studies have shown that long boulevards and wide, straight streets are more likely to lead to fatal accidents.  Barra da Tijuca, a modern borough of Rio di Janeiro, features uninterrupted boulevards and wide streets – the worst kind of design for road safety. Just by peering at Barra da Tijuca from above, we can make an educated guess about the road safety conditions down on the ground. The scale of the city is built for cars, not people.

Eric J. Jenkins’ beautiful book To Scale provides a revealing look at cities through black-and-white drawings of the cities from above. Writes Jenkins, “While accurate architectural plans are readily available, the same cannot be said for urban plans.” His collection places overhead views of cities from all over the world side-by-side, drawn to the same scale. Jenkins argues that this compilation “allows designers to compare the interrelationship of the scale, size and patterns of urban spaces and thus begin to understand their differences and similarities. [These] can help designers – regardless of their experience – make successful public spaces for the 21st century.”

From above, some cities feature winding streets and pedestrian-scaled spaces, as shown in To Scale. Image by CUA.

But one does not need to be an urban planner to appreciate the diversity of our cities, and the range of information we can gather by looking at our cities from overhead. The next time you are in a familiar public space, think about what it might look like from above. Would pedestrians be dwarfed by the footprint of large buildings? Would you be able to see the city limits? Consider how long it would take someone, flying high above the city, to come across a public green space where citizens could enjoy the city they call home.

This post originally appeared on WRI Insights.

Indore’s new iBus now carries more than 23,000 passengers daily. Photo by EMBARQ India.

Indore, India—nicknamed “Mini Bombay”—is a booming city of two million people. The city’s rapidly growing population has created serious problems, including increased road congestion, travel delays, traffic accidents, and environmental degradation.

Enter the “iBus.” Indore’s new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line—the iBus—recently completed 100 days of passenger operations. The new system carries more than 23,000 passengers per day, easing congestion, reducing travel times, and creating a safe, convenient mode of public transport.

Many factors contributed to iBus’s success in Indore. One, however, stands out as a lesson for all transit stakeholders: the importance of public outreach.

Creating the iBus

The iBus has seen impressive results in its first few months in operation, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. When construction of the iBus first began in 2007, the general public reaction ranged from strong opposition to enthusiastic support. A host of factors affected public and press opinion: construction delays, little public engagement, and lack of faith in the political and administrative leadership of the city.

The iBus is a great example of the power of public outreach and involvement. Developers knew that making the iBus a success meant improving its mixed reputation. To do so, they relied on four critical branding and public outreach activities to generate a “buzz” around the project: crowdsourcing, education campaigns, social media, and trial runs.

Crowdsourcing to Create Ownership

To involve the people of Indore, the Atal Indore City Transport Services (AICTSL) held a contest in August 2012 to name the new BRT. From amidst the many entries received, the name “iBus” was chosen. The “i” signifies “intelligent” as well as “Indore,” creating a sense of belonging. The name was easy to remember and pronounce. The sense of ownership it created fostered local pride in the new BRT service.

AICTSL and EMBARQ India, part of WRI’s EMBARQ Center for Sustainable Transport, then partnered to create a brand logo that would communicate the iBus’s values of speed and reliability. The entire exercise in selecting a design also reflected back on AICTSL, portraying it as a company that manages a modern, efficient, safe BRT like the iBus.

Outreach Sessions to Address Participant Misconceptions

Even as construction was underway, local media reacted negatively and sometimes with skepticism towards the BRT project. To ensure that media had access to the most accurate information about the iBus and its vision, Dario Hidalgo, EMBARQ’s director of research and practice, led a Focus Group Seminar with senior journalists from Indore. Citing examples from across the world, this seminar was able to address a number of myths and misperceptions related to BRT systems and the iBus.

EMBARQ India staff also supported AICTSL in holding Public Focus Group Sessions with students and young professionals. In these sessions, audiences were informed about what the iBus was, how it would run, and how it would benefit them. Groups were taken on tours of the corridor, accompanied by journalists and other observers. For example, in April 2013, about 30 journalists went on a study tour of the Ahmedabad Janmarg BRTS – a recognized success for BRTs in India. Experiencing and learning about a full-fledged system that carries more than 140,000 riders daily—and set in a context similar to Indore—allowed participants to better visualize the plans for the iBus.

Outreach sessions eventually reached more than 1,200 people, helping to dispel myths around the project and build a sense of comfort with the upcoming service.

Social Media: A Dialogue Between Authorities and the Public

Recognizing that Indore needed an open, public dialogue to create a transparent image of the iBus, EMBARQ helped AICTSL create an iBus Facebook page in March 2013. Because the BRT corridor runs adjacent to a large number of schools and universities, the Facebook page was seen as an opportunity to engage the youth and attract potential ridership. The Facebook page provided updates on construction, answered queries regarding service, and soon became an informal forum to take feedback and suggestions. During Public Focus Group Sessions, participants began “tagging” themselves to photos on the Facebook page. As the page’s number of “Likes” grew, the media began to pay attention, often referring to the page for project information and photographs.

The use of social media has been tremendously rewarding in the case of Indore.

Trial Runs with an Informed, Accepting Public

Trial runs, sans passengers, began in April 2013 to ensure smooth running throughout the corridor while also creating an image for the system before operations began. Seeing buses run along the corridor was reassuring for the public and helped create an atmosphere of acceptance and anticipation.

On May 10, 2013, free passenger trials of the iBus began. Not charging a fare was a strategic decision aimed at achieving greater ridership while helping everyone understand the system. Over the course of the five-week free passenger run, ridership went up significantly each week.

Riding into the Future

With the launch of iBus, there are now seven BRT systems in India—and soon to be more. Bhopal, Surat, and Pimpri-Chinchwad are expected to launch their own advanced bus systems later this year, and five more cities have BRT lines under construction. An additional five have announced future plans to build such a system. In less than a decade, the number of BRT systems and bus corridors in India will have gone from zero to twenty.

As these cities move forward with their own BRT systems, it’s important that they keep the lessons from the iBus in mind: Designing a BRT system is only half the battle. Communicating about the project is imperative to its success.

• LEARN MORE: Discover more about BRT systems on the EMBARQ website.

 

Parklets are successful at increasing public space for pedestrians, but have not yet reduced the prevalence of cars. Photo by Waltarrrrr.

Over the next few decades, urban areas across the world are projected to experience exponential population growth. In the U.S., Census information shows that the largest cities, those with a population of over half a million, grew more in the two years between 2010 and 2012 than they did in the twenty years between 1990 to 2010. Jobs continue to transition from rural to urban areas and cities continue to develop as cultural and intellectual meccas. Those in charge of leading our urban centers into the future are hoping to make adjustments now that will allow cities to sustain themselves under the pressures of future growth. One infrastructure that is emerging as a popular component in this transition is the parklet.

What is a parklet?

Parklets are small public parks that are built in areas usually devoted to cars, most commonly in metered parking spaces. Though not always realized, the larger ideal of parklets is two-fold. Parklets aim to increase public green space while also disincentivizing the use of cars in urban environments. Because of this broader goal, parklets are strongly embedded in the New Urbanism movement, which aims to transition cities from car-centric to people-centric systems. Preliminary studies have shown parklets to have many of their desired effects, such as increased civic street life. However, there are some potential problems with the current parklet process, that need to be acknowledged and addressed for parklets to have the kind of broad and lasting impact that many hope they will.

City infrastructure is one of the most effective tools in sustainable urban growth. Through infrastructure, city leaders set priorities and expectations. Most cities in the United States prioritize cars over people mainly by designating more public land to moving and parking cars than to human leisure and recreation. Parklets are part of the movement to reverse this trend.

The parklet concept originated in San Francisco in 2005, and the first formal parklets in the United States were established in the same city five years later. In the past three years, parklets have grown in popularity. As of January 2013, thirty-eight parklets had been installed throughout San Francisco, and cities from Long Beach to New York have implemented them as well. The parklet movement has even led to the establishment of an annual international event called PARK(ing) Day, which is occurring this September 20th, 2013. Yet there has been very little study devoted to assessing how well parklets actually achieve their various intended goals.

The shortcomings of parklets

Early research conducted on San Francisco’s parklets show that the implementation of a parklet does seem to increase civic activity on the particular block where the parklet is installed, and the average number of people on the block at any given time also seems to increase. For a movement aimed at making cities more people friendly, this is definitely an achievement.

However, when it comes to disincentivizing car use, the parklet process often falls short. In order to make up the revenue lost by allowing a metered parking spot to be converted into a parklet, cities often require that they be able to build a new metered parking spot nearby.

Parklet programs also use a funding model that could prove counterproductive in the future. In general, parklets are funded entirely by the community. By removing all costs of implementation from the city, and forcing parklet funding to depend solely on the abilities of the local community to raise money, the infrastructure can only be implemented in those communities with disposable income. As a tool used to help people reclaim city streets, parklets may only be going as far as reclaiming the streets used by people who have the money to buy them back.

Parklets have great potential

For parklets to truly transform cities, they have to be implemented in concert with other measures, including the elimination of parking spaces, the widening of sidewalks, and the improvement of public transportation systems. Furthermore, their funding model needs to be reassessed so that they don’t become just another resource available to the wealthy few and out of reach for many.

As we move forward in the transition from car-centric to people-centric cities, it is important that we do so inclusively and neutrally. Leaving segments of our cities behind in the process by withholding infrastructure development, or making that development out of financial reach, will only lead to unsustainable urban growth. Parklets are a great way to increase public green space in urban environments, and have the potential to be a very effective component of the New Urbanism movement, but we must address their shortfalls now for them to have a real and sustainable impact on our future cities.

Better bicycle infrastructure is a sign of sustainability efforts in developing countries. Photo by Carlos Felipe Pardo.

Julia Thayne reports on the inaugural City Climate Leadership Awards Ceremony and Conference, September 4-5 in London.

In many places in South America, owning a car is equated with obtaining high socioeconomic status. During recent years, however, cities such as Bogota, Colombia, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, have been leading the way in altering public perception so that mass transit, cycling, and walking become equally socially acceptable modes of transport. The inaugural City Climate Leadership Awards Ceremony and Conference (CCLAC), co-hosted in London by C40 Cities and Siemens this September, was organized to provide global recognition for cities that are demonstrating climate action leadership. Speaking at the conference, Guillermo Dietrich, the Secretary of Transportation for Buenos Aires, declared, “With [the city’s] healthy mobility plan, we introduced [the idea] that we wanted to be Copenhagen.” Copenhagen is often cited as an ideally planned city, complete with great bicycle infrastructure and plenty of green public spaces. Dietrich acknowledged that the two cities have little in common where geography and demographics are concerned, but he suggested that Buenos Aires’ effort to emulate Copenhagen marks a positive shift in attitudes towards sustainability in the developing world.

Progress in cities around the world

Actions by the local government in Argentina’s capital city provide a testament to this shift. For example, the implementation of on-street protected cycling lanes and a bike-share program have helped raise cycling from 0.4% of all trips in 2007 to 2.5% in 2013. Nevertheless, as Dietrich recognized toward the end of his speech, Buenos Aires and other similar cities still have a long way to go in cultivating Copenhagen’s culture of sustainability.

The discussion of Buenos Aires’ sustainable transit initiatives was just one of four during a break-out session on urban transport at the conference. Dietrich was joined by representatives from Bogota, Colombia; Paris, France; and Stockholm, Sweden – each of whom spoke about efforts to advance sustainable transport in their cities. The representative from Bogota discussed how adaptations to the successful TransMilenio system aimed to make bus rapid transit more socially and environmentally sustainable. Marcelino Pera from Paris outlined how Autolib’- a publicly subsidized car sharing service – enabled the city to reduce vehicle emissions. Gustaf Landahl, head of the Planning and Environment Department in Stockholm, concluded the presentations by showing how the city’s congestion charge deterred unnecessary car use without angering drivers. These sessions underlined the importance of sharing successful initiatives and innovative ideas at forums like CCLAC – cities are eager to learn from each other’s experiences and can benefit greatly from evidence based on rigorous analysis and monitoring.

Three characteristics of successful urban projects

Holger Dalkmann, EMBARQ’s Director, moderated the talks, and his introductory remarks set an optimistic tone for the session. He emphasized the innovative ways in which cities of both developed and developing countries are working to combat climate change. Dalkmann noted three main characteristics connecting the four cities’ transport initiatives. Firstly, the primary focus of the successful projects was the people – not economics, not politics, not even necessarily the environment. Rather, local governments believed that acting to improve city transport systems should first and foremost benefit people. Secondly, implementing transport initiatives required political leadership that was consistent over time, despite changes in power and party. Without this consistency, little would have been achieved, as transport projects understandably take some time to implement in the city environment and to mainstream among urban inhabitants. Finally, all four projects demonstrated their city’s dedication to a wider vision of planning in which specific initiatives were components of larger plans.

The presence of representatives from four very different cities on a single panel regarding urban transport, in addition to Dalkmann’s comments linking the cities together, underlined that times really have changed. From the “Paris of South America” to the Paris of, well, Paris, city administrators are pushing forward policies and projects that will reduce urban transport’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

Water scarcity in China is exacerbated by the demands of growing cities. Photo by Herve BRY.

China’s Urban Billion is a series of blogs exploring China’s urbanization process. Xiaomei Tan guides TheCityFix readers through China’s opportunities and challenges as it transforms into an urbanized society. She examines the urbanization process as it relates to governance, the private and public sectors, and the economy.

As China’s cities grow, the availability of water will be a constraint. China’s available water per capita is only one-third of the global average. This is exacerbated by the fact that China’s water resources are unevenly distributed – water availability in the northern region is about one-sixth the availability in the south. Urbanization has greatly aggravated water scarcity, as urban residents, on average, consume more water than their counterparts in rural areas.

Water Scarcity

Currently, nearly two-thirds of Chinese cities face water shortage issues. Among them, 110 cities are especially thirsty. Beijing, the capital city, has experienced three water shortage crises since 1949. In 2011, Beijing’s per capita water consumption was only 107 cubic meters, about 1/5 of the global average. Although a series of measures have been taken, including overexploitation of groundwater, utilizing the Miyun Reservoir’s inventory, and water recycling, Beijing will still face a water gap of 660 million cubic meters by 2014.

To meet increasing water demand, many cities, especially cities in Northern China have to overdraw groundwater, which leads to subsidence of land and saltwater intrusion in coastal areas.

Data source: China Environment Statistics Yearbook 2010

China’s high water intensity further exacerbates the water shortage issue. Water intensity is a measure of cubic meters of water used per unit of value added by economic activity. Currently, China’s water consumption per unit of GDP is five times the global average. The water leakage rate in many cities’ distribution networks and water appliances is as high as 20%. The industrial water recycling rate is only 60%, compared to 85% in developed countries. What is worse is that China’s water efficiency varies significantly. In water-scarce western cities, the water efficiency rate is only 0.4, compared to 0.8 in water-abundant eastern cities. This means western cities use double amount of water for per unit of value added by economic activity, compared to eastern cities.

Water Pollution

In addition to water scarcity, water pollution in urban areas is getting worse. In Elizabeth Economy’s book, The River Runs Black, she exposes the terrifying state of China’s rivers. “More than 75% of the water in rivers flowing through China’s urban area is unsuitable for drinking or fishing. Only 6 of China’s 27 largest cities’ drinking water supply meet State standards. … and many urban river sections and some large freshwater lakes are so polluted that they cannot even be used for irrigation,” she writes.  Wastewater treatment continues to be an issue. Although 1,000 wastewater plants were built between 2000 and 2006, only about half of the discharges from municipal sources are treated. This is partially due to inadequate wastewater collection facilities, and partially because revenue collected from customers are transferred to the general city budget and not used to ensure that treatment plants have the resources needed to operate adequately.

Data source: China Environment Statistics Yearbook 2010.

Water Policy

China’s 12th Five Year Plan has taken the water quality issue seriously. It specifies two targets for improvement: raising the urban sewage treatment rate and the life garbage treatment rate to 85% and 80% respectively. The plan also addresses solutions to the water shortage issue. In order to supply 40 billion cubic meters of water annually, it proposes to take better advantage of rainwater and cloud water and improve the infrastructure for the hydrology and water resources management.

On the water technology front, China is looking into a suite of new options: nanotechnology in filtration, membrane chemistry, seawater desalination, and smart monitoring. The technology of desalination, especially, has been used in several coastal cities. Tianjin already built 4 desalination plants with a total capacity of 220 thousand tons per day in 2012. Qingdao, another coastal city, is currently building China’s largest desalination plant, with a daily capacity of 100 thousand tons. According to the 12th Five Year Plan for Desalination Technology Development, China will commercialize desalination technology by 2015. By then, 20 cities will be equipped with desalination plants, with a daily capacity of 2.2 to 2.6 million tons.

In spite of holding much promise for China’s future water supply, desalination is extremely energy intensive: around 4 kilowatt hours of energy for every cubic meter of water, about 10 times of the energy intensity seen in other clean water production. Therefore, for energy-scarce coastal cities, desalination is not the best solution.

The strong linkage between water and energy suggests that China’s growing cities will face resource pressure on more than one front.

Xiaomei Tan is the Deputy China Country Director and Director of China Sustainable & Livable Cities Initiative at the World Resources Institute. She is charged with steering WRI’s research agenda in China, fostering high-level dialogues around critical environmental and development issues, and leading a team of over 10 researchers to contribute to China’s sustainable urbanization and overseas investment.

In her various roles, Xiaomei has published widely in mainstream and professional journals such as Energy Policy, Ecological Economy, and Overseas Investment and Export Credits

This September 22, people from around the world will engage in urban activism to push for bicycle-friendly cities. Photo by Carlos Cadena Gaitan.

Peaceful urban activists are setting a new trend for resilient Latin American societies. In the midst of the massive motorization caused by increased income levels, they all share one idea: we still have time to reclaim our streets – for pedestrians, for cyclists, for humans – before the car takes over completely.

Last year, urban activists from Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil decided to act simultaneously on Global Car-Free Day, September 22nd, using art as a pragmatic tool to improve their cities.

Symbolic bike paths were painted by activists. Large groups of cyclists, artists and curious citizens took back their streets from cars, allowing non-motorized modes of transport to dominate the roads for a few precious hours. Thousands of citizens were reminded of their right – and responsibility – to creatively push for more humane cities.

Although it began as a symbolic action to call on local policy makers, the actions of the urban guerrillas had tangible results. Formal cycle lanes are now a reality in some of these locations, and sustainable mobility is moving quickly to the top of the political agenda in some of these cities like never before.

Months later, the urban activists’ efforts were recognized with the “Cycling Visionaries” award at Velo-City Vienna. Encouraged by this positive feedback, they decided to turn “Bikes For Life” into a global event for Septamber 22, 2013. In order to allow the free participation of any group, the organizers of the event are calling on citizens to generate any symbolic action in favor of urban cycling, in their own communities.

As of September 10th, 182 organizations across all 5 continents had already confirmed their participation.  In Kampala, Tanzania, the African Bicycle Network is organizing a massive group ride through the streets. In Delft, a small city in the cycling country of The Netherlands, students will provide free bicycle lights to fellow cyclists. In Asunción, Paraguay, artists plan to unveil an urban monument made out of used bicycle parts.

Alexandre Costa, journalist for Gazeta do Povo in Curitiba, Brazil says that “the ‘life-lines’ that citizens should paint that day can range from a simple bicycle symbolically painted on a wall to a fully-fledged bike lane along a main city road.” Zorely Ramos, one of the leaders of the event in Mexico, highlights one of the most crucial aspects of the initiative: “Anybody can provide a creative gift for their own city on that day, as long as it is done legally, and without intention to substitute the authority of the government”.

When asked about the dangers of using such a negatively charged term such as “guerrilla” in Colombia, a country that has long suffered from their violence, some of the activists remind us of a statement by Banksy, one of the world’s most renowned urban artists: “There is nothing more dangerous than a person who wants to make the world a better place.”

There are many reasons to commute to work by bicycle. One commuter, Tim Goldby, recently demonstrated a great reason: it is often faster to commute by bicycle than by car. You can watch as Goldby zooms by 589 cars on his way to work in Melbourne, Australia. He even subtracted the cars that passed him, showing just how superior a bicycle commute can be.  Check it out:

Besides saving time and avoiding rush hour traffic, commuting to work by bicycle has many other obvious benefits. A commute to work can double as your exercise for the day, and most cycle-commuters report that they feel energized and less stressed when they get to work.

Commuting by bicycle can also save money. When gas and parking are no longer a daily expense, it seems frugal to splurge on a pair of nice panniers – a bicycle bag for carrying your clothes to work.

Of course, one of the greatest benefits isn’t just a benefit to you, the cyclist. By taking a sustainable option for your daily commute, you help make the air in your city a little bit cleaner and the carbon in the atmosphere a little bit less. Limiting your use of natural resources, while saving money, time, and improving your health is a great reason to ditch the car and hop on a bicycle.

Ready to get serious about improving your commute?

A number of bloggers offer tips for commuting to work by bike. In fact, some blogs, such as CommutebyBike.com are entirely dedicated to news and safety advice for bicycle commuters. Resources abound for someone ready to get serious about riding to work. One important safety tip for city riders lacking dedicated bicycle lanes is to claim the lane, rather than ride on the shoulder of the road.

When you’re ready to start commuting by bicycle, resources to help you on your way are as plentiful as the reasons to leave your car behind.

This post was inspired by a post on TheCityFixBrasil by Louisa Zottis. Photo by James D. Schwartz.

Le Corbusier is responsible for many modern principles of Urban Planning. Image by The University of Florida.

You probably know that urban planning has been around for a long time, but did you know that many of our urban planning principles date back to Ancient Greece? Nearly every major city across the world can attribute their design, function, and beauty to generations of visionary urban planners. Architects, writers, and philosophers have worked to develop cities that function as thriving hubs of commerce while providing ample parks and greens space, woven together with the necessary infrastructure to support the population.  From “the earliest city planner,” Hippodamus of Miletus, through Le Corbusier, the inventor of “City Beautiful,” urban planners have shaped the environment of where we work, live and play.

The wide boulevards of Paris, the adapted grid system of Washington DC,  the majesty of the government buildings in London, and the green gardens dotting rooftops today in Manhattan can all be attributed to these pioneers of urban planning.  As cultural and societal needs have changed, the theories and practices of urban design have been adapted.  Today, the focus is on creating sustainable cities and metropolitan areas that foster a healthy living and working environment for all. Over the course of thousands of years, the urban planners highlighted below have learned from one another while adapting to growing urban populations and environmental concerns.

The first city planner – Hippodamus of Miletus

Hippodamus of Miletus, ancient Greek architect, mathematician, philosopher, and meteorologist, is credited with being the “Father” of urban planning. After centuries of war, destruction, and occupation of his homeland, the need to rebuild cities and surrounding areas was immense.  His vision was based on the division of cities into areas for public, private and sacred use. Today, with larger populations and transport needs, planners strive for mixed-use areas, rather than harsh divisions.

Miletus is responsible for devising the city planning grid system.  The broad boulevards intersecting at right angles and city centers of today can be directly attributed to his vision and structure implemented in the rebuilding of Ancient Greek cities.

Jaipur – The first planned city in India

English scientist, architect and mathematician, Sir Christopher Wren, is credited with designing many landmarks throughout London.  After the Great Fire of London in 1666, Wren designed 51 new churches, including the great architectural achievement, St. Paul’s Cathedral.  At the same time, a continent away, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II was designing the new capital of Jaipur India, the first planned city of India.  Singh’s vision for Jaipur was realized in the development of a modern commercial hub based on ancient Vedic architectural principles and practices. These principles support cosmic harmony through the orientations of buildings, dimensions, and other city planning essentials.

Skyscrapers and “City Beautiful” – From D.C. to Chandigarh

The adapted grid system of Washington DC was designed by President George Washington’s go-to city planner, Pierre Charles L’Enfant. A century later, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. brought landscape architecture to the forefront of city planning and worked to develop the National Park Service.

Sir Ebenezer Howard developed Garden City practices in London England that incorporated residential properties, parks, shops, and other commercial buildings surrounded by agricultural land as described in his 1902 book “Garden Cities of Tomorrow.”  In Paris France, Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann was widening Parisian streets to reduce congestion, while updating the city’s sewer and water systems and creating bountiful new parks.  Appointed by Napoleon III to modernize Paris, Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann created the layout and design of Paris’ outlying districts while highlighting monuments including the Arc de Triomphe.

Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, also known as Le Corbusier, was a prominent architect, urban planner, and painter responsible for designing Chandigarh, India to include his “City Beautiful” layout.  His principles were based on adding green space and gardens, even in a city environment of raised multi-level structures.  Le Corbusier was instrumental in the rethinking and design of modernist architectural principles that incorporated battling the issues of inadequate urban housing for Chandigarh and beyond, influencing urban residential design and city planning the world over.

New challenges in the 21st century

From the pioneers of urban planning, we can learn how best to design cities for today, and for the future. We can admire their vision but also qualify where they fell short. Of course, 1000, 500 or even 200 years ago, these brilliant minds could not have projected the changes the world would face with the advent of automobiles, planes, trains and other technologies.

While these visionary urban planners developed cities that worked for their time, space and culture, today’s urban planners struggle with creating cities for expanding populations that will stand the test of time.

Just as Hippodamus’s focus was on the division of space, today mix-use planning is today’s standard for flexibility, efficiency and function.  Where L’Enfant’s adapted grid was designed for a population with carriages not automobiles or semi-trucks, we can still draw inspiration from his dream to create ordered, livable cities.

Following the leads of these planners, today’s generation is tasked with the development of sustainable communities.  Advanced infrastructure developments for water management, power usage, traffic mitigation, green building design, and management of harmful greenhouse gases, are just some of the dynamics of today’s metropolitan areas. As the populations of our cities continue to increase, the need for livable communities will continue to increase as well.

 

Want to learn more about the pioneers of Urban Planning? A neat infographic by the University of Florida is full of information.

Improved institutions, including a national department focused on Urban Reform, have set the stage for necessary changes to Mexico’s cities. Photo by World Bank Photo Collection.

78% of Mexico’s population is urban, and 88% of the country’s gross production can be attributed to 93 cities. However, until recently, Mexico lacked a national urban policy, and the consequences have been disastrous. Finally, changes have begun to take place. Urban policy has started to receive some of the national attention it deserves, but there is still a long way to go.

In the past three decades, Mexican cities have followed a “3D” growth pattern – new developments have been Distant, Disperse and Disconnected, resulting in the fragmented and unplanned expansion of urban sprawl. According to estimates by the Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL), the urban population has doubled in the last 30 years while urban land area has expanded six fold. This kind of sprawling urban development turns out to be highly unproductive, deepens inequality, raises pollution levels, and increases greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, it increases urban vulnerability to the impacts of climate change as cities spread into areas particularly susceptible to extreme weather events.

The “3D” model of urban development is largely the result of a weak and fragmented institutional framework and the lack of a comprehensive urban planning system. Urban policies and responsibilities are scattered across a number of departments that individually lack the capacity to influence cities’ development. The problem is worsened by existing legal frameworks, which neither favors territorial planning nor discourages land speculation. In failing to provide adequate incentives for urban development within the existing footprint of Mexico’s cities, the existing legal framework has contributed to rampant sprawl.

Fortunately, important measures are underway to reverse this situation. The creation of  the Ministry of Urban, Territorial and Agricultural Development (SEDATU) at the end of 2012 is a strong start. It places the creation of national urban policies center stage, at the ministry level, allowing the possibility of aligning and strengthening programs that were previously scattered. In turn, the National Development Plan (PND), presented on May 2013, clearly identifies objectives and specific strategies to address the huge economic, social and environmental costs posed by urban sprawl. Progress on the discussion on the General Law of Human Settlements also contributes to the creation of an adequate legal and institutional framework for the sustainable development of cities.

These critical changes are in part the result of the hard work of a number of non-governmental organizations pushing for comprehensive urban planning and improved urban spaces. Among the proposals included in the National Development Plan are six key reforms, proposed by a coalition made up of EMBARQ Mexico, the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO), and the Mario Molina Center for Strategic Studies of Energy and the Environment (CMM). These organizations united under the banner and Twitter hashtag #ReformaUrbana to push for the needed changes through an effective and large-scale social media campaign.  For the first time in Mexican history, the national plan mentions the need to integrate urban development with mobility policies. It highlights the importance of implementing integrated urban transport systems, promoting bicycle and pedestrian mobility, and setting the rational use of the private car as national policy.

The next step will be to get more specific. EMBARQ Mexico has proposed 100 Ideas for Urban Reform for the government, addressing specific actions and tactics for pursuing the goals laid out in the PND. These proposals are the result of massive public input (both in person and through Twitter), as well as guidance from experts. Now that urban reform is at the forefront of the public agenda, it is time to make changes. The 100 ideas resulting from this experience will be published at the end of September.

Mexico urgently needs a structural reform aimed towards giving the country a legal, institutional and financial framework focused on triggering the huge social and economic potential of its cities and improving life quality for the 90 million inhabitants of those cities. The first, critical steps have already been taken, but there is a ways to go. As urban reform slowly but consistently permeates national government actions, we can all hope for more livable and productive Mexican cities.