Urban Growth and the Future of Urban Mobility
At the beginning of the last century, only ten percent of the world’s population lived in cities. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, human sapiens became an urban species. For the first time in human history, more than half of the world’s population was living in urban areas. By 2050, two in three people will live in urban areas, according to a UN report that says that overall population growth could add another 2.5 billion people to towns and cities.
Cities are centers of culture and knowledge and commerce and innovation, representing the complexity of modern human society. Moreover, urban growth is often linked to economic success. OECD studies have suggested that a doubling in population increases the productivity level of a city by 2–5 percent. However, as cities continue to grow in size and population, so do the challenges they face: the shortage of affordable housing, high levels of pollution and congestion, environmental deterioration — these are just some of the problems cities are grappling with. Urban areas not only account for more than two-thirds of global energy use, but they are also responsible for three-quarters of global carbon dioxide emissions.
New research led by Daniel Moran from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology shows that just one hundred cities drive 18 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, with Seoul, Guangzhou, New York, Hong Kong, and Los Angeles having the largest carbon footprints in the world. The scientists modeled the CO2 footprint of 13,000 cities, highlighting the impact cities have on global CO2 emissions. Their study also shows that in most countries, the top three urban areas drive more than one-quarter of national emissions.
Cities are part of the problem — but they are also part of the solution
There is increasingly a call for cities to take action on tackling global warming and reducing their emissions. What is done, or not done, in urban centers about global warming affects everyone. As the former Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg has said, “What cities do, individually and in unison, increasingly sets the agenda for the entire world.” It is important to stress, however, that these problems are not inherent to cities per se. The challenge, in other words, is not to prevent further urbanization, but rather how to make cities more livable and sustainable — socially, economically, and ecologically.
Cities of the future
What, then, do sustainable cities look like? And what can local governments do to make their cities fit for the future? To begin with, every city must do its bit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, as I argued in one of my previous articles, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to global warming or the challenges facing our cities. Each city is different. Policies and projects that work effectively in one part of the world do not necessarily work successfully elsewhere. Nevertheless, some approaches could lead the way toward a sustainable future. Some cities have started smartening up. Across the world, smart city projects have been launched to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The smart city concept encompasses five primary dimensions: living, governance, economy, environment, and mobility.
What role does mobility play in ever-expanding cities?
Mobility is what keeps cities alive and functioning, but it must be put on a more sustainable trajectory. Strong public-private partnerships are required to make urban mobility simple, fast, and green. And yet, we have only scratched the surface of what is possible. Four key trends — electrification, connectivity, automation, and shared mobility — are revolutionizing mobility in cities.
Meanwhile, a handful of cities around the world, such as Singapore and Copenhagen, have created well-functioning mobility systems that satisfy people’s needs. Improvements in infrastructure have helped to reduce congestion and increase the throughput of road and transport systems. New business models have started to blur the boundaries between private, shared, and public transport. Furthermore, thanks to expanded mobility options, people have many ways to get around. These cities employ a range of complementary measures and serve as shining examples of how to do it right.
Daniela Rathe is Director Politics, External Relations and Sustainability at Porsche. To find out more about Porsche and Technology, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. For Porsche, shaping the future of the sports car means bringing tradition and our company values together with innovative technologies and new products on a sustainable basis. Taking a responsible approach to people, the environment, and society, throughout the value chain — from suppliers right through to the recycling of products — is important to Porsche. Our objective is to take steps to enhance economic and societal value creation throughout our products’ lifecycle. At the same time, it’s also important that we reduce the environmental impact of our business processes and products on an ongoing basis. Learn more about Sustainability at Porsche via Porsche Newsroom.
