Ensuring Sustainable Mobility in the Cities of the Future

This situation is particularly alarming as the urban population in developing countries is expected to double in the next 25 to 30 years. India and China alone are expected to add over 600 million people to their urban population over this period.

Unfortunately, dealing with this problem is complex and requires an understanding of several dimensions.

“It is not just about building roads, flyovers, and public transport infrastructure,” explains O.P. Agarwal, Senior Urban Transport Specialist at the World Bank. “When you’re planning urban transport you also have to look at issues such as land use, climate change, and energy efficiency. And you have to ensure that transport is safe and affordable, and that it’s accessible to women, children, and the elderly.”

Capacity building program

To help increase capacity to deal with the complexities of urban transport, the World Bank has developed a new capacity building program known as “Leaders in Urban Transport Planning.” The program is supported by AusAID, ESMAP, and PPIAF.

“This new program aims to help cities and governments plan for urban transport in a comprehensive and holistic manner, and thus ensure sustainable mobility in the cities of the future,” said Jose Luis Irigoyen, World Bank Director for Transport, Water and Information & Communication Technologies.

The program targets senior policy makers and planners in cities, provincial governments, and national governments. It uses a case-study and interactive learning approach rather than a lecture-based approach.

Sharing experiences in Singapore

The first offering of the new program was organized in collaboration with the LTA Academy on January 15-21, 2012 in Singapore. The face-to-face workshop was preceded by a self-study phase so participants could gain an overview of the basic issues at their own pace.

The Singapore event attracted 66 participants from 13 countries, ranging from China to India, Mexico, South Africa, and Vietnam. They gave the program very positive feedback, especially the case-study approach.

Interviewed at the event, Dayo Mobereola, Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) in Nigeria, said the course involved “a lot of exchange of ideas, knowledge, experience, and so it has been very informative.”

Lynn Gloria Madrona, a Consultant with the Cebu City Government in the Philippines, said she learned that other cities face similar problems to those of her own city. “I’m sure when I get back there will be a discussion on the part of the city government with myself regarding other possible solutions for more or less the same problems,” she added.

Gaurav Gupta, Managing Director of the Karnataka State Road Transport Authority in India, said he “would not like to change anything about the program” as he found it “very well coordinated.”

Staying connected

Participants in the Singapore workshop can continue to share knowledge and improve their skills through an optional mentoring program offered by the World Bank.

“What I would expect from this program now that we have successfully implemented it in Singapore is that the participants will remain engaged,” said Irigoyen. “We want to continue this effort of south-to-south collaboration.”

To meet the demand from policymakers and planners, future programs are now being planned in Argentina, France, and India.