Can a multimodal Istanbul reverse the tide of car dependency?
Istanbul is working towards an integrated transport network to turn the tide against motor vehicle and make mass transport the dominant form of mobility once more. Photo by Andreaffm/Flickr.
Turkey has had good fortune in seeing the personal incomes of its citizens rise from US$ 6,800 in 2000 to US$ 14,700 in 2011. Yet with increasing incomes has come a trend towards personal motorization, with private vehicle ownership jumping from 889,000 to ...
Banking on sustainability: Inter-American Development Bank and the Americas Society/Council of the Americas team up for a new conception of smart cities
Emerging economies are creating their own conception of "smart cities" that incorporate appropriate technologies, mixed-use development, and sustainable transport. Photo by EMBARQ Brazil/Flickr.
The idea of “smart cities” – defined as those whose social and technological infrastructure accelerates sustainable economic growth – has captured the attention of city leaders and urban dwellers around the globe. It has also caught the attention of international ...
Friday Fun: Design your own transport network!
It can be challenging, but sometimes fun, to learn how to bring sustainable transport to cities. Photo by Michael Newman/Flickr.
Planning an integrated transport network that moves people through cities quickly and efficiently is pivotal for cities to enable sustainable mobility. Few understand just how to difficult this can be, but the new Mini Metro game made by Dinosaur Polo ...
Urbanism Hall of Fame: Jane Jacobs inspires sustainable, human-centered cities
Jane Jacobs' community activism has had a lasting impression on today's cities, from sidewalk murals to sustainable transport system. Photo by ruffin_ready/Flickr.
This is the inaugural entry to our new series on sustainable urban mobility, the Urbanism Hall of Fame, exclusive to TheCityFix. This series is intended to inform people about the leading paradigms surrounding sustainable transport and urban planning and the ...
MOVE: Transforming bus transportation in Belo Horizonte
The launch of Belo Horizonte's MOVE bus rapid transit (BRT) system seeks provides the city safe, high quality mass transport in an effort to slow the advance of the private car. Photo by Luisa Zottis/EMBARQ Brazil.
Belo Horizonte, one of the host cities for Brazil’s 2014 World Cup, is using its newfound spotlight to showcase its growing transport system. The city launched its MOVE bus rapid transit (BRT) system this past Saturday, March 8, 2014, which ...
Call for applications: "Building Leaders in Urban Transport Planning" 2014
EMBARQ Mexico is helping city leaders understand the complexities of creating sustainable mass transport systems through a series of lectures, group exercises, and case studies. Photo by EMBARQ.
The World Bank and EMBARQ Mexico are holding the second edition of the “Building Leaders in Transport Planning” training course for Mexico (#LUTPMx14). The course provides tools for systematic planning of integrated mobility corridor management, alternative public transport planning, evaluating ...
High quality mass transport to save our cities
Europe learned that speed, reliability, and comfort are essential for successful public transport systems, and Brazil is taking note. Photo by EMBARQ Brasil.
For those who live in or visit Brazil’s cities, it is not hard to see the effects of increasing motorization and car usage on our urban centers. Too many cities have become crippled  by bottlenecks and stifling traffic congestion. Increased ...
Transport Toolkit: Six steps to a low emission transport system
Upcoming Low Emission Transport Toolkit webinar will help planners and city leaders to plan, finance, and implement sustainable transport solutions. Photo by EMBARQ Brazil.
City leaders and planners weigh difficult decisions when choosing the path for their cities. When it comes to transport, they face such challenges as deciding between developing bus rapid transit (BRT) or light rail, and finding the best way to ...
Friday Fun: A day in the life of Hong Kong's subway
Hong Kong's mass rapid transit (MRT) system boasts a high quality of service, an important factor in making sustainable transport the way to go for urban residents. Photo by Lileepod/Flickr.
Transport and urban planners spend much of their time thinking about distance to stations, fare pricing, and the key components that make sustainable transport systems work at a basic level, but they sometimes forget the smaller details that make transport ...
Three challenges facing India’s growing cities
In the past two decades, Indian cities have grown tremendously—not only in population, but in geographic size. Photo by Peter Vandeput/ Flickr.
Population growth and rapid urbanization are combining to create huge challenges for Indian cities. According to McKinsey, Indian cities are expected to grow from 340 million people in 2008 to a whopping 590 million in 2030. Meeting demand for urban services ...