This lecture report was first published by the Centre for Liveable Cities.

Sustainable mobility interventions offer benefits that extend beyond simply moving people efficiently from point to point. These interventions can lead to improved health, social, environmental and economic outcomes. To fully realise these benefits, cities must adopt integrated cross-domain solutions supported by key enablers such as cross-sector collaboration, data-driven methodologies and strong governance frameworks.

At the CLC-UNDP Webinar, panellists Lynette Cheah, Ray Krishna, Alexandru Pelivan and Ina Olearciuc explored how cities can harness technology and innovation to create a sustainable urban future. The session was moderated by Kevin Schmidt (UNDP).

Unlocking Cross-Domain Benefits of Sustainable Mobility

Setting the context of the session, Shawn Tan, Deputy Director (Research) at CLC, highlighted the need to view mobility not as a standalone transport issue but as one deeply connected to other urban challenges. He introduced CLC’s ongoing research with the Center for Innovation in Transport, Barcelona (CENIT), on a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) framework that aims to assess sustainable mobility initiatives beyond just cost and efficiency by capturing social, health, and environmental impacts. Anchored in the CLC Liveability Framework, the tool aims to guide integrated, inclusive strategies and support long-term shifts in both policy and commuter behaviour and will be launched later this year.

Panellist Sharing: Emerging Trends and Tools for Integrated Mobility Solutions

Professor Lynette Cheah identified transport equity and low-carbon infrastructure as key mobility challenges. She advocated for adaptable frameworks to assess public transport accessibility, citing Sunshine Coast's use of Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) scores as an example. She emphasised using a lifecycle approach towards greening transport infrastructure, considering both embodied and operational carbon emissions alongside circular design principles to reduce emissions.

Ms Ray Krishna discussed the transition of transport planning from car-centric to people-centric approaches, emphasising the role of activity-based modelling in understanding travel patterns for better design solutions and to implement solutions at the right time. Singapore's North-South Corridor project demonstrates this shift, combining technical data with community feedback and stakeholder engagement to implement targeted people-centric mobility strategies. She emphasised that human interactions provide crucial insights that technology alone cannot capture.

Mr Alexandru Pelivan echoed the emphasis on people-centric design and highlighted the importance of stakeholder collaboration in fostering inclusive and sustainable public services. He shared that a number of cities in Moldova are implementing a modular platform that integrates multi-sector data for real-time decision making, advancing towards a smarter and more sustainable urban mobility ecosystem.

Ms Ina Olearciuc shared how Ungheni, a Moldovan municipality, developed an urban mobility plan to transform its transport ecosystem. The city leverages technology for better mobility management while engaging its community to nudge sustainable transport choices. Looking ahead, Ungheni aims to enhance its digital infrastructure and advance its green transport initiatives.

Ensuring Inclusivity in Policymaking

The panel discussed how we can ensure inclusivity in our policies as we leverage the use of data in policymaking processes. Professor Cheah pointed out that data has its limitations and could be biased, thus there is a need to supplement it with real-world interactions to ensure inclusive outcomes. Ms Krishna highlighted that using metrics that account for diverse demographic needs can support more inclusive urban interventions.  Mr Pelivan shared that commitment from local public authorities to build the required infrastructure, alongside continued stakeholder engagement can result in more inclusive policies. Ms Olearciuc acknowledged that while digital inclusion remains a challenge, Ungheni is taking efforts to ensure its smart services are available to all.

Measuring What Matters

A robust evaluation framework was identified as essential to track the long-term impacts of mobility interventions. Ms Krishna stressed the importance of clearly defined qualitative and quantitative indicators, aligned with policy goals and supported by consistent documentation and monitoring. Professor Cheah echoed this, adding that indicators should reflect local conditions and be adaptable to evolving policy objectives, which provide a reliable basis of measurement.

Partnerships for Progress

All panellists agreed that collaboration between diverse stakeholders such as policymakers, academia, private sector and the community is essential for the success of initiatives. Ms Krishna underscored the need to involve stakeholders early in the planning processes to build rapport and facilitate decision-making processes. Professor Cheah added that alignment between stakeholders is important to facilitate buy-in, which can also help unlock funding required for projects. Drawing from their experience in Moldova, Mr Pelivan and Ms Olearciuc shared that in resource-constrained settings, strong collaborations and partnerships with the private sector are crucial for success in smaller cities. They highlighted how such partnerships can help overcome budget limitations and enable the implementation of sustainable mobility initiatives.

Conclusion

Ultimately, a systems thinking approach is key for cities to move towards sustainable and inclusive urban mobility as it fosters a holistic approach to understanding the impacts of initiatives. Sustainable and inclusive urban mobility cannot be achieved in silos. It requires a holistic understanding of how interventions interact across policy domains and affect different communities. Through integrated planning and meaningful collaboration, cities can create transport systems that are not only efficient, but equitable, resilient, and future-ready.

The second webinar of this series explores how digital innovation and climate-responsive design can be harnessed as part of a systems approach to urban health. Learn more about "Healthy Cities by Design" here.