How to reimagine mobility in a world obsessed with cars
As global cities grow more crowded and polluted, mobility is at a critical juncture. The private car, once a celebrated symbol of freedom, is becoming a burden, driving cities into gridlock and pushing urban spaces to the brink. Explore the urgent need to rethink mobility in an era where the status quo is no longer sustainable.
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The mobility crisis in cities
From the inefficiencies of car-centric cities to the promise of more human-centred design, delve into the challenges and changes that could redefine how you move and live in the urban world. Whether you're a mobility sector professional, a city planner, or simply someone tired of the daily traffic grind, this piece will provoke thought and hopefully inspire action.
Copenhagen is a city renowned for its cycling culture. And, as a Copenhagen native, I have a profound love of cycling. Cycling is my default mode of transportation: it’s quick, efficient, and, in a city with one of the world's most progressive cycling infrastructures, it’s often the fastest way to get around.
Yet, despite the convenience, charm, and obvious health benefits of cycling, there are days when I find myself behind the wheel of my car, inching forward in seemingly endless lines of traffic.
On these days, the frustration is palpable. The minutes slip by and turn into wasted hours, all while I wish I could just zone out and let the car take over. Regrettably, fully autonomous cars are likely still decades away – and don’t get me started on the predicament of finding a place to park in the city!
I suppose my frustration is fuelled by the experience of inefficiency. I’m left grappling with the stress of congestion and the reality that traffic in my home city, like most other large cities around the world, is only getting worse.
While Copenhagen is often celebrated as one of the most livable cities in the world, traffic and congestion continue to grow. In fact, the number of cars on Copenhagen’s roads is projected to increase 18 percent by 2035. The reason? The city is growing and expanding, and with this growth comes the inevitable strain on our transportation systems. Despite all the new modes of transport, an expanding metro, car-sharing schemes, e-bikes, and scooters, countless hours are wasted every year as commuters find themselves stuck in traffic.
What’s even more staggering is the amount of space dedicated to cars in a city that prides itself on its progressive cycling culture. Over 60 percent of the area between buildings in Copenhagen is taken up by roads and parking spaces. Imagine the possibilities if we could reclaim some of this space for other purposes in line with some of the bigger picture challenges we are facing! And if this is the situation in the rather orderly city of Copenhagen, how much worse must it be in megacities across the globe?
The unsustainable promise and premise of the smart city
These observations from Copenhagen may serve as a microcosm of the challenges facing much larger cities worldwide. Urbanisation continues to accelerate, and by 2050, an estimated 68 percent of the world’s entire population will be living in cities, increasing the pressure on already overburdened transportation systems.
The current trajectory is unsustainable, not just in terms of congestion and time wasted, but also in terms of pollution and environmental impact. Transportation accounts for nearly a quarter of global CO2 emissions, with privately owned cars contributing the lion's share.
Hence, the future of mobility is not just about getting from point A to point B; it's about reimagining the spaces we live in, the way we move about, and how we can reimagine our cities in a way where people are prioritised over cars. In short, this calls for a fundamental transformation in how we think about mobility and how we design our cities.
The fate of the smart city
I’m sometimes left wondering, what happened to the lofty visions around smart cities that used to be so commonplace? Years ago, when the term first emerged, I was led to believe that our urban landscapes would soon be transformed by seamless technology, with everything from traffic to waste management optimised by sophisticated sensors and data.
But reality bites. Take Songdo in South Korea, heralded as the world’s first fully smart city, built from the ground up. Despite the high-tech infrastructure, it struggled to attract residents and businesses, leaving much of it underutilised today. Or consider Masdar City in the UAE, envisioned as a zero-carbon smart city but now largely abandoned as the initial ambitions proved unsustainable and too costly.
These examples reflect a broader trend. Many smart city initiatives remain stuck in the concept phase, hampered by technical, financial, social, and political challenges that were underestimated from the start. And while there are certainly examples of cities that have successfully implemented smart technologies to improve urban living, I’m inclined to think that the term was mostly just a clever selling point for technology providers looking to “wow” decisionmakers with visions of a smarter future.
Where do we go from here?
If technology and the concept of smart cities have yet to deliver on their promises, what lies ahead? In part two, examine how cities like Nantes have taken a different path, reimagining their urban spaces to prioritise people over cars. Stay tuned as we explore real-world solutions and the creative possibilities that emerge when we rethink how we design our cities.
Sources
https://www.kk.dk/sites/default/files/2023-06/Mobilitetsredegørelsen%202023.pdf
https://www.archdaily.com/962924/building-a-city-from-scratch-the-story-of-songdo-korea
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-22/songdo-south-korea-s-smartest-city-is-lonely
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