MOBILITY
THE DIGITAL HIGH STREET
INTRODUCTION TO THE EBOOK SERIES
“KPMG is excited to be working together with Tech London Advocates/Global Tech Advocates on the launch of this eBook series focusing on the tech-enabled communities of the future. “There is a great opportunity for the UK to combine new digital
infrastructures with the repurposing of traditional infrastructure to enable a more interconnected world. Building a sustainable and inclusive environment that allows everyone to succeed and grow is absolutely crucial in the fast changing
digital environment that we now live in. “We hope that the perspectives that this series brings from sectors such as retail, mobility, smart public space and community bring to life the opportunities available across the UK to our communities
of the future.”
Chris Hearld, Head of Regions, KPMG LLP
by Councillor John Alexander - Chair of the Scottish Cities Alliance and Leader of Dundee City Council
I’m very proud to have been asked to bring you the foreword for the Mobility theme for this e-Book.
Bringing our mobility choices into line with what will be good for us as people and the environmental impact will be key as some cities strive to meet carbon neutral targets of 2030.
The pandemic has brought a raft of sweeping changes through our society and precipitated other evolutions which might otherwise have happened, albeit at a much slower pace.
So called smart solutions will improve health through a number of ways and I hope to make this change in my own city, where we are already pioneering e-travel in a number of ways.
Different cities and towns will face different challenges as we adapt and embrace huge transformational change, in a relatively short space of time. To illustrate my own commitment to this cause myself and my wife decided to trade our two petrol cars and replace them with one electric vehicle (EV). I believe change is needed and our leaders must set an example – we certainly haven’t looked back. The e-book brings together a huge wealth of knowledge on how we can reshape our centres and continue to thrive and evolve as our ever-evolving technology will constantly feed change.
This provides an invaluable guide of how different challenges can be tackled head on and also the power of collaboration – by coming together, seemingly insurmountable challenges become much more palatable.
Policy and partnership will be key to driving forward new and ever innovative solutions, as you will read in some of the articles in this book and these are the key foundations for bringing about this monumental change and making it work for the people we are serving.
Whether it’s eBikes, car share schemes or drone deliveries, it all comes from a mindset that looks at adapting and changing to meet the rapidly changing needs of society and the environment.
I believe learning from others and listening to the needs of people will be key drivers as we move towards a world of mobility that is very different to that of even the turn of this century.
I want to create a healthy and sustainable future for my generation and many more to come and a huge part of this will be decided by the transport choices available to us, many of which are outlined in the pages to follow.
by Silviya Barrett - Head of Policy & Research, Campaign for Better Transport
Public transport is a necessity for many. Even in rural areas, some people do not own cars and rely on public transport to access employment, education, leisure and vital services like hospitals. But poor connectivity tends to affect some groups – such as disabled people, older or younger people, people on low incomes – disproportionately, so access to public transport connectivity is a social justice issue.
The devastating impact of the pandemic on our trains and buses cannot be overstated. During the first lockdown government advised people not to use public transport. Although there is now much research pointing that it is less dangerous than other settings, the fear of virus transmission on buses and trains has persisted in people's minds.
This means that many people needing to travel have gone for the perceived safety of private cars. So much so that car use levels reached pre-pandemic levels in the summer, despite many still working from home. A recent RAC report found people are now much more likely to see access to a car as essential.
But the impact of this can be devastating. Greater motor vehicle use increases physical inactivity and air pollution, which harm people’s health. It leads to greater congestion on the roads, which harms the economic recovery. It stalls efforts to
decarbonise transport and threatens our ability to achieve net zero targets. Indeed, there is a real danger that the pandemic will normalise travelling by car and new habits will be difficult to shift.
Yet, buses, trams and trains will have a vital role to play in a green recovery and a fair, healthy, sustainable future. Driving produces more than four times as much greenhouse gas emissions per passenger kilometre as travelling by rail and almost twice as much as travelling by bus.
So we need to make sure public transport survives and thrives post pandemic. While the government is subsiding public transport operators at the moment, if low usage persists, the Treasury may reduce support and operators may be forced to review and potentially cut services. This could leave many communities with no public transport services to return to after the pandemic. In the short term, the government must continue financial support so routes don't disappear.
In the medium term, when restrictions begin to ease, government and operators will need to make a concerted effort to attract passengers back to public transport. Transport Focus research has shown that although a small percentage of people use public transport currently, the vast majority of those feel safe on board. So as part of this, Treasury should introduce discounts on bus and rail fares for a limited amount of time or some promotional free rides to encourage people to try bus and rail travel again and hopefully feel reassured about its safety going forward.
In the longer term, public transport must be reformed, so it’s an attractive proposition for everyone – one that is affordable, accessible, reliable and convenient. Flexible ticketing is a key part of this. The pandemic has changed people’s habits, with more flexible and remote working expected to continue. To match this, the government should introduce part-time season tickets and other flexible rail fare options before people are expected to return to their workplaces. Capped bus fares that work for different operators are also needed to encourage passengers to travel by bus rather than private car.
But ultimately we don’t know how fast and to what extent, bus and rail use will recover, so such measures should go hand in hand with fundamental reform of bus and rail funding, planning and delivery to meet people’s needs in the most cost-efficient way. Visit our website to find out how.
by Susan Claris - Transport Planner, Arup
Discussions about how technology and society can come together to create a vision for communities of the future and mobility, usually tend to jump straight to a particular mode of transport that is believed will solve some of our challenges.
Future-gazing is necessary, but there is a danger in that we tend to put all our eggs in a tech-fix basket when thinking about transport and its role in the future. The risk is that we overlook the small but important changes we should be making now, which bring quick benefits to cities, streets and communities, such as active travel.
We need to look at how and why people travel. Data for England for 2019 shows that the most common trip purpose is leisure (26%) and shopping (19%), with commuting accounting for just 15% of trips. With more people working flexibly, the percentage of commuting trips is likely to reduce. So, we need to look more at local trips and see how these can be made by active modes – walking and cycling.
Most trips that we undertake are short: 24% are under 1 mile and 68% under 5 miles. Many of these trips currently undertaken by car could be made by active modes, but these modes need to be made more attractive and inclusive. We need better footways and crossings, improved cycle facilities and efficient interchange with improved public transport services.
Perhaps even more important is that we restrain from car dependency. This means addressing what I refer to as transport gluttony: the over-consumption of transport, creating negative impacts and outweighing the benefits of active transport interventions. Examples include:
I believe actions are required to make the use of the private car less attractive, such as, the reduction of parking, 20mph speed limits and road pricing.
Another way of reducing vehicle dominance is through the creation of low traffic or active neighbourhoods. These comprise of simple, well-planned interventions to create safe streets and enable walking and cycling for short journeys. Streets can be “filtered” to keep through-traffic on main roads and to restrict access to residents, deliveries, emergency services, etc.
© Math Roberts Photography
Interventions can include modal filters, cycle streets, rain gardens, parklets and new crossings. Such neighbourhoods can be quick and cheap to implement. They are also scalable as they can be quickly rolled out across a city or region
to benefit diverse communities.
The health, wellbeing and social benefits of active travel in our towns and cities are clear. But these benefits are not equally felt by everyone, and we need to do more to ensure that when implementing these interventions, we make
it truly accessible and inclusive for all.
by Matthew Pencharz - Founder, MSP Strategies
Consider urban mobility in 2011: while there were satnavs, they weren’t dynamic and couldn’t advise on routes depending on traffic and certainly weren’t in everyone’s pockets but rather left in cars, becoming a boon for car crime; Uber was officially launched that year and Apps such as Citymapper and Google had only started integrating city data to offer different mobility options. While new sustainable Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) services options had launched - Paris’s Vélib and London’s Boris Bikes launched in 2007 and 2010 respectively, they had not yet become part of the common street furniture.
And now consider urban mobility last year, before Covid-19 locked cities down. Our smart phones give us options by price and speed. Ticketing is becoming integrated with payments completed contactlessly – none of that rooting around in our pockets for change.
Official data released last autumn showed that traffic on residential streets has increased by 70 per cent over the last decade, driven by the prevalence of satnavs and, of course, the explosion in Internet shopping.
These are examples of trends that are likely to accelerate over the next decade and public policy is running to catch-up. How can these trends be harnessed (or mitigated) for the high street in 2030 and also to deliver on climate and public health goals by reducing congestion and emissions?
These are examples of trends that are likely to accelerate over the next decade and public policy is running to catch-up. How can these trends be harnessed (or mitigated) for the high street in 2030 and also to deliver on climate and public health goals by reducing congestion and emissions?
In London a third of all car journeys are under 2km and another third are between 2km and 5km, many of which could be completed by using more sustainable modes. The London Borough of Waltham Forest trailblazed incentivising active transport, which both activates people and its high streets. A Transport for London study showed that following these schemes there was an increase in retail rental values, fewer empty shops and a 93% increase in people walking the streets, with pedestrians spending 40% more than motorists. There was strong and organised opposition, and the recent controversy over Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and increased cycling infrastructure shows that it will take political leadership to drive these schemes forward.
However, technology and MaaS products are making these schemes all the more palatable. For example, dockless e-scooter rental services will become universal across our towns and cities over the next few years and the operators are already thinking about how to make these more inclusive. Services such as these and, no doubt, new modes that are currently just twinkles in entrepreneurs’ eyes will allow placemakers to activate town centres and high streets away from individual car ownership, away from car parks and congestion and noise, to create places where people want to go to shop, relax and socialise – something that perhaps we won’t be taking for granted any longer.
by Claire Owen - Co-founder, DronePrep
In 2010, online shopping accounted for 7% of all UK retail sales. In 2019 it was 20% and in Jan 2021 this figure rose to 36.3%*. A dramatic increase in a short period of time, but what impact will this have on our roads and communities and
can we cope with this continued growth?
A study published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) found that the growth in last-mile deliveries over the next decade will lead to slower transits and higher emissions in major cities across the world. The report forecasts a 36% rise in the
number of delivery vehicles in the world’s top 100 cities by 2030, leading to an emissions increase of over 30%. This congestion will amount to 11 minutes of extra commute time per passenger every day.
With congested cities, more residential dwellings required, more greenspace needed to improve wellbeing and more cycle/scooter lanes to offer greener methods of transport, perhaps the answer is to look up.
Drones offer a last mile delivery solution which could help to alleviate the increase in traffic demanded by online retail. Drones are very environmentally friendly for small, light packages compared to almost every alternative, however this
impressive statistic is based on a drone carrying one parcel. Drone and battery technology is swiftly improving, so whilst today a traditional van loaded with parcels still outperforms drone delivery, that won’t be the case for very long.
By 2030 we are likely to see a number of things change not just within the built environment but within our airspace also. Low level airspace (below 1000 ft) is currently incredibly under-utilised. With general aviation flying mostly above
this level, we have a large corridor of opportunity for delivery routes.
We are likely to see autonomous drones replace traditional delivery vehicles particularly in rural and remote locations where economically this makes sense sooner, but what could drone delivery look like in cities and urban environments?
As we see the high street adapt, with an increase in online retail and commercial buildings converted into residential, there is an opportunity to include droneports and parcel depots in planning applications and developments. Less like the
Amazon Mothership (luckily) and more utilisation of rooftops and available space with initially pre-defined and autonomous flight paths leading to more flexible delivery routes with the emergence of mature UTMs (Unmanned Aircraft Traffic
Management systems).
Landowners, like city councils, have an opportunity to assess their current assets and start to think about how they may adapt to accommodate droneports, depots and charging stations which, as the industry grows, have the potential to create
many revenue opportunities.
by Liam McKay - Director of Corporate Affairs , London City Airport
I could use these 500 words to talk about London City Airport’s ambition for 90% of all journeys to the airport to be made by sustainable transport modes.
Or, I could use it to talk about an exciting, cutting-edge project that we’re involved in that could make London a global leader in low carbon, electric aviation.
And, spoiler alert, I am going with the latter option.
Now, to begin, there’s a lot of scepticism out there about aviation and its ability to decarbonise. I won’t disagree that it’s challenging but given the criticality of the industry to how we live our lives (which I now believe is more obvious than ever), challenges have always been overcome. And this one will be no different.
But where do we start? While a hybrid-electric inter-continental flight may be some time away and the possibility of regional electric flight is possible this decade, in a closer time frame, is the potential for introducing a safe, secure and quiet electric air taxi network to London by 2025.
In January, London City joined a consortium, led by Eve Air Mobility, that will look to utilise low-level airspace to transport passengers and goods around our city.
Great strides are being made to improve sustainable road and rail transportation, but London’s growth story will continue post the pandemic. Now is the time to carefully consider how we plan for that and how we best utilise our resources – and our airspace is absolutely one of them.
The first phase of the project looks at connecting London City and Heathrow, with stops in the city. But there is potential for it to be scaled out, complimenting or acting as an alternative to suburban train travel or connecting the north-east to the south west as the wait for Crossrail 2 goes on – joining the dots wherever there is consumer demand.
With the right landing and charging infrastructure, urban air mobility has the potential to be a low cost, high value and super agile transport mode for London, complimenting what already exists.
Clearly the biggest challenge to this will be persuading not only passengers that its safe, but communities across London. As an industry we should be rightly proud of our safety record and the high standards demand by our regulator, the CAA. That’s why it’s so positive that this is project is looking at design, capacity and performance issues such as noise directly with the CAA right now. We’re building from the bottom up as this project, if it is to succeed, has to be right for Londoners.
And good news it really can be. Making this possible, has the potential to create jobs in the city, inspire young people into careers in the industry as well as redefine how we use the air to connect people and places.
But more than that, as the UK seeks to redefine its presence on the global stage, embracing this project will send a clear signal to investors around the world that London is ready to blaze a trail and compete with the likes of Sao Paulo, Los Angeles and Paris in the deployment of clean energy transport solutions.
For an urban airport like London City, a project like this can not only maximise our utility and relevance to London’s future, but help us realise our ambition of being the most sustainable airport of our size in Europe.
This could be great for London. And if you or your company would like to learn more or partner with us, we would love to hear from you.
Link to website: www.UKAirMobility.com
by Julia Thayne DeMordaunt - Mobility Innovation, Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti, City of Los Angeles
How can technology and society come together to create healthy, safe, supportive, accessible, easy to navigate, resilient communities which are fit for future purpose?
To create the future mobility network communities want, cities, companies, and communities must stitch together flexible policies and partnerships that deliver the solutions people need.
I have spent much of my career in the private sector, working on infrastructure and technology and leveraging both to accelerate cities’ achievements of their climate action targets. When I entered the public sector two years ago, joining the mayor’s office of the United States’ second largest city, I was their first ever mobility innovation lead: a post focused on marrying the future of mobility with its present, implementing new policy, technology, and partnerships to do so. Most of the pushback I receive in this new post is about the role of technology. Often, it can be considered the outcome rather than a tool, with city governments across the world - and especially their political leaders - perceived as prioritizing new and exciting technology and its private sector champions to the exclusion of tried-and-true approaches for street design and affordable, accessible transit.
The reality, though, is that this tension presents a false dichotomy. The past year has seen tremendous impacts to what people need from transportation. An increase in the number of goods and services delivered at home. A rebalancing of the types of stores, services, and jobs people can access within short distances of where they can afford to live. More flexible street spaces that can be used for playing outside, or parking, or protesting. Although time will tell how many of these impacts and needs are permanent, one outcome is clear. To deliver a healthy, safe, supportive, accessible, and easy-to-navigate transportation system, cities must meet both the ever-changing needs of the individual and the desired outcomes of the whole. Given this very tall order, cities will need all the help they can get!
In some places, technology and society are coming together to implement this future mobility system through organizations that serve as arbiters of community-first innovation. In Los Angeles, for example, we founded Urban Movement Labs - a public-private innovation hub that works across government, communities, and companies first to uncover what communities need, then to match solutions to those mobility challenges. Although the work of Urban Movement Labs is just getting started, already it has shown the importance of focusing on process and outcome equally. When people feel heard, then they are first-in-line to try new mobility solutions rather than technology guinea pigs. When public and private sectors can co-create and integrate solutions, then the multi-modal transportation system that results - whether analog or digital! - supports healthier, safer, and ultimately more equitable communities.
Transport has long been a disrupter and a facilitator of the development of our cities, stamping its patterns over the centuries on the shape our urban centres take. The resulting morphology – often a sprawling agglomeration whose central zone is fed by various transport corridors into a huge cartwheel of monocentric radial development - is something the disruption caused by the digital revolution gives us a new opportunity to unpick.
By looking to a polycentric, transit orientated, development we can rediscover neighbourhoods and look to the local high street as our non-virtual location of choice.
Demographic and behavioural trends – even with the devastating impact of Covid - are seeing:
To foster these trends serious consideration needs to be given in the early stages of planning and strategic policy development to:
In the longer term at DG Cities we believe connected and automated mobility will have a huge impact on many aspects of daily life. However, to capitalise on the potential benefits then this new technology has to be developed in a way which moves away from ownership to user-ship and from privately owned automated transport, towards MaaS.
This user centric approach offers significant potential benefits from a social, economic and environmental perspective, and certainly facilitates a rethink of the High Street space currently occupied by the private car.
Already digital technologies not only let passengers and commuters know about the mobility options available to them, and make payments seamlessly, they also can facilitate new ways of delivering mobility services by moving away from fixed
routes to flexible options. MaaS has access to real time information - traffic flows, congestion and incidents; weather conditions; location of existing demand, etc. Based on this, vehicles define their routes in real time to efficiently
match/meet supply and demand.
From the perspective of our High Streets, if the policy drivers are created to manage the transition to an automated fleet as a part of MaaS, it enables the optimisation of space; vehicles will be delivering services more efficiently, and
smoothing flow. Demand for ‘convenient’ parking space will be reduced, with ‘touch points’ defined for pick up and drop off, and vehicles will only occupy/circulate through the areas/roads when there is demand for their services.
The more efficiently supply matches demand the fewer vehicles will be required, and by extension the overall space they require will also be reduced, leading to the ability to re-imagine and re-purpose elements of current road space in our
town centres.
by Alex Gilbert - Senior energy strategy manager, TfL
I would like to share my thoughts as to the future of mobility through vehicle-charging & multi-modal hubs. But I would ask you to open your mind when you think of what we mean by charging, or even the term 'hub'.
A phrase I like to use when I'm working at TfL – and it's an awful one, so apologies in advance – is Integrated, Innovative, Infrastructure.
That first word is key: integrated. And it won't surprise you that as arguably the world's most advanced, integrated transport authority – whilst also building homes, community and energy infrastructure – TfL is obsessed with that unification and cohesion. A city as ambitious as London shouldn't limit its citizens to feeling that they serve only Transport, Housing, Energy; or any one sector.
To make a smart, sustainable city truly come to life, you need five things:
This piece of work by TLA touches on that last point, by focusing on the citizen's 'tech-enabled future'.
A hub should be able to provide all the necessary future Mobility solutions – connectivity, car charging, bike hire, local information and plenty more – whilst also offering an enhanced Retail Experience; a Smart Public Space (whilst remaining green and resilient); and a vibrant, functional place with Community at its core.
A true, multi-modal, multi-sectoral
eco-system.
For instance, rather than treating a car's charging cycle as a burden; we can shift the paradigm. That's a period in which to pick up some required groceries, socialise in the breakout area, grab a coffee, check emails ... or maybe enjoy an on-site yoga class and forget about home-schooling for 30 minutes!!
Our hub can support active and shared travel: bike hire and car-clubs as two such solutions which are immediately deliverable.
As another example, including a bank of e-lockers on site allows the chance to collect multiple deliveries whilst interacting with other customers; a knock-on effect naturally being the air quality and congestion benefits of removing several delivery vehicles from the road. Who knows: post-lockdown, perhaps we'll all be a little more keen to speak with each other!?
A far more likely post-COVID outcome is the much-heralded return of the high-street, as part of the 15-minute city / local urban economy / [insert other 2021 buzzword of choice]. Your local high-street will have to become more malleable, adaptable, commercial! Along with seeing a merger of different use classes and flexible workspace, let's also make mobility a part of that community, rather than an afterthought. Think: Los Angeles ... but just the complete opposite.
As a closing comment, sometimes one reads these thought-pieces and thinks: "that's great, but not in my lifetime!". Fortunately, everything stated above is either with us right now, even if somewhere else in the world; or is at least in development (we're all looking forward to autonomous vehicles and renewably-powered cities). As always, it takes the will and focus of the people to make it happen; so let's get moving.
Alex is an independent investor, advisor and consultant on topics relating to 'Green Infrastructure' and 'Smart Cities'. This article represents his own views, not that of TfL or any other party.
by Laurent Briant - General Manager, Cityway
In 2030, MaaS will have reached a certain level of maturity. With it, people will be able to travel everywhere in a single click, through a single solution. In response to the “sustainable” visions of government and citizens, it will itself have to be exemplary, i.e., be eco-designed to reduce its own environmental impact and maximise its accessibility for all passengers. It will be a part of the wider visions of local government for their communities, and will incorporate not only mobility services, but also other essential everyday services (events, healthcare, education, employer mobility, etc.).
MaaS 2030 will be the essential everyday tool for all citizens.
Dematerialisation is underway, and this trend will persist, hastening the disappearance of soon ‘obsolete’ everyday articles such as parking meters or smartcards. In parallel, the need for high quality and reactive service will grow, and social media and customer service departments will have a bigger role than ever in providing this essential human contact.
As for the mobility offering itself, integrating all services within MaaS will play a key role in its optimisation. Communities’ mobility services have been designed step by step, without mutual consultation. This interlinkage has delivered mixed results. MaaS will allow authorities to apply consistency across the offering and improve its efficiency, fluidity and comfort.
Recent history has exposed the financial difficulties arising from the sizeable budgets required to operate and maintain public transport, while, in parallel, transport use has dropped. MaaS will help optimise budgets by joining up the dots better.
What about suburban congestion? Will we ever see an end to it? Consider this: a car is one ton of equipment transporting mere kilograms of a single human being (1.05 people on average per vehicle - source LOM – France 2019). This object is used 2h a day and spends most of its life parked. It may offer the luxury of intimacy and comfort so cherished by many, but 2030 might conceivably be the era of the service car, a new object, reasonable from an urban planning, economic and sustainability point of view, transporting more than one person.
Interfacing a personal car with other mobility services will trigger the renaissance of good old hitchhiking: in a safer form, with digitally-identified, community-rated passengers transported on demand by a volunteering personal car fleet. Recent history has also prompted households to re-evaluate their ownership of personal cars. Many of them will begin a disposal process, for example replacing one of their cars by rental through car sharing, which is ultimately cheaper.
The MaaS 2030 to which we aspire will materialise if everyone makes the effort to deploy on the ground the quality services we expect. Because while MaaS is a tool which will allow people to use many services simply and easily, the prerequisite is that that the services actually exist!
Simplifying universal access to a larger quantity of reliable, easy-to-use mobility services, distributing people flows more evenly, building better service quality: such is our vision of MaaS 2030.
About Cityway: For nearly 20 years, Cityway has been developing white label software to help local authorities make public transport and mobility in general more accessible and efficient, and create a seamless mobility experience allowing more riders to take the first step towards a more equitable, sustainable, shared mobility practice.
As an expert in Mobility as a Service (MaaS), Cityway develops and integrates the best solutions in the fields of passenger information, on-the-spot or advance service bookings, payment, validation and assistance in analysing and intelligently fine-tuning mobility service offerings in cities and regions.
Headquartered in France, with offices in the US, Canada, Germany, Cityway has become one of the MaaS leaders, thanks to its 200 engineers and developers, and its 150 clients.
Cityway’s digital solutions include: Triplinx in Toronto (Canada), Compte Mobilité in Mulhouse (France), Moovizy in Saint-Etienne (France), Amaze in Amsterdam (Netherlands), Optymod in Lyon, Mticket in New Orleans (USA) ...
by Joe Peach - Communications Director, WhereIsMyTransport
Public transport networks in developed cities are pretty stable, with services and schedules updated less frequently than the apps we use to get around. Commuters typically rely on government-run systems, knowing their departure point, route and time of arrival. There’s usually a backup plan when something goes wrong, and all the information you need is digitalised and at your fingertips.
Look for the same information online in many emerging-market cities and you’d be forgiven for thinking that comprehensive mobility networks don’t exist. You’d be mistaken. In the Majority World, most of the population uses a vast, thriving, decentralised public transport system, moving between vibrant economic hubs. A mobility ecosystem exists, but reliable digitalised information, on the whole, does not.
Commuters in today’s emerging-market cities ride informal networks up to 10 times larger than complementary, government-run, formal networks - which are, incidentally, less reliable than their developed-market counterparts. Trips in informal transport—matatus, jeepneys, tuk-tuks or local equivalents—are dynamic, with drivers adapting routes in real time to optimise capacity, speed, and profit. It’s a flexibility that a handful of technology companies are working hard to append to developed markets, yet in emerging markets it’s already happened. From the bottom up.
In the largest cities in the Majority World, up to 80% of trips happen in informal modes, operating alongside formal government-funded services. Though easy to conceptually separate, commuters don’t. These are simply the options available to get where you need to go. Mobility entrepreneurs have embraced their freedom to innovate within a decentralised system, but commuters can lose time, money and opportunity due to lack of data. Any organisation looking to understand mobility in these markets is unable to make informed decisions.
This is now changing. A handful of companies are approaching the future of mobility in emerging-market cities using an inclusive, localised approach to data production, one which reflects the complex reality of mobility and creates the right information to improve quality of life and shape future places.
In today’s world, if it isn’t digitalised, it isn’t there. That increasingly applies in emerging markets, where smartphone ownership climbed as high as 60% in 2019. With most technological solutions originating from regions where fixed, formal services are the norm, a different approach is needed. To tackle that problem, you have to start by making the invisible visible. This means producing a digital mobility baseline that includes both essential network data and the place-based data that people rely on to navigate. Teams are needed on the ground to maintain and enrich that data as networks change.
For commuters, this results in data on fares, vehicle features and interchanges—those places which show up as empty land on most maps. For businesses, this creates a valuable city-wide mobility representation for the first time.
Shaping the future of mobility in emerging-markets requires investment in better technologies now. Since 2015, WhereIsMyTransport has optimised a data production playbook, developing custom tools and processes to digitalise public transport information. We’ve worked with commuters in Gauteng, Mexico City, Dhaka and Bangkok in the last year, capturing and maintaining mobility data and delivering it to clients in the globally recognised technological standard.
In cities where commuters can spend up to 5 hours commuting and up to 30% of income on transport, journey options and disruption alerts save time, reduce costs and improve quality of life. Organisations benefit by making truly informed planning, infrastructure or digital service evaluations for the first time.
With a localised approach, the emerging-market city of 2030 can be a place where public transport remains a viable and attractive way to get around, even as incomes increase. A place where citizens have more time, improved livelihoods, and an evolved and expanded connection to their built environment. The digitalisation journey is a great opportunity, wherever you are in the world.
Joe Peach is Communications Director at WhereIsMyTransport - a London-based technology company delivering mobility data and solutions for emerging-market cities.
by Dan Hubert - CEO, AppyWay
The ease at which a community can move and access their town or city is integral to the health of that community. With electric vehicles, electric scooters, smart parking, and smart payments all designed to improve how communities access their towns, how do authorities navigate the technological advancements of infrastructure and mobility in a scalable, economical, and community focused way?
Many, if not all, of these new services have kerbside restrictions, or traffic restriction orders (TROs or TMOs), at the core of their ability to function in an area. Electric vehicles will need charging bays, e-scooters will need designated areas to park, and smart parking and payments require a lot more than just signage and painted lines on the roads to be operational. To allow these congestion reducing, air quality improving modes into communities the traffic restriction orders, the legal mechanism for implementing parking restrictions on-street, will need to be created or changed to accommodate them.
For lots of authorities around the UK, the process of creating and amending traffic orders is long and cumbersome. They are either using analog methods of processing or use legacy software that is impeding their ability to make restriction changes at pace. The data can sometimes be inaccurate, outdated, and in formats that inhibit external integrators from making positive use of the data. This doesn’t even take into account the legally required process of public consultation on TRO changes, which is equally as outdated, and is often confusing and ineligible for the public.
At AppyWay we believe that by digitising the entire traffic order process, authorities can unlock more liveable and equitable communities. Map-based, digitised traffic orders allow authorities to work at speed, keeping pace with the ever-evolving nature of technology and mobility.
Digitised TROs allow local governments to build a wealth of invaluable, accurate kerbside data giving them more control in shaping new mobility technologies whilst ensuring their kerbside provision complements the local transport strategies the community needs. Paper and legacy systems take months, sometimes even years to implement, greatly hindering their ability to keep up with new technologies. Through digitised TROs, traffic order teams can work at speed, digitally managing and consulting upon kerbside changes, dramatically reducing the time it takes for restrictions to be active on the kerbside and empowering councils to execute innovative initiatives.
Importantly, accessible, easily understood TRO information enables better cross-departmental collaboration within city authorities. Digitised traffic order data becomes shareable to innovation teams for example, enabling councils to plan and activate initiatives in line with highways, traffic order, and community teams. Collaboration can be extended to external partners with accurate traffic order data used for activities such as enforcement and app development, further improving access for those who need it most.
This crucial local government asset, the humble kerbside, when digitised is the key to empowering authorities to make community focused decisions that improve town centres and reinvigorate highstreets. The benefits of digitising the kerb are clear – with enhanced data authorities can better understand and therefore manage more productively, access to their kerbside.
By Jonny Combe - CEO, PayByPhone
Today’s city transport model is dying. The future for urbanised areas is multi-modal transport - the integrated use of several different forms of transport. Imagine what a multi-modal journey across a city might look like: seamless, easy, using a single technology platform for all car sharing, parking, micro mobility rental and guidance. It is the Utopian idyll but how close are we to that in reality, and what are the challenges we have to overcome to get there?
It’s important to acknowledge that simply having the technology is not the solution. Much of the technology already exists and operates well – within its own parameters. The challenge is addressing the fragmentation at each touch point in the journey. For example, EV charging points may be owned and operated by a city or privately; the same is true of multi-modal mobility options. Each will have its own, separate platform, approach and user experience. Another example is in large cities there are multiple local governmental bodies - London alone has 32 of them plus the City of London - who are operating independently of each other, with a further layer of central government above them. Each borough has its own technology platforms and services, which will not be integrated in any way with the neighbouring borough’s.
The fragmentation is vast, both in terms of the public / private split and in terms of the different platforms delivering the various services. Integrating and interconnecting all of these disparate, individual technologies and entities is where the work needs to be done to reach that Utopian seamless cross-city journey.
So, how does that happen? A level of standardisation in technology will allow different platforms to integrate and connect successfully. Large tech developers and service providers must start working together in a collaborative and transparent way to solve this. Only by integrating and harmonising data from multiple sources will technology produce healthy, safe, supportive, accessible, easy-to-navigate and resilient urban communities.
ABOUT PAYBYPHONE
PayByPhone, a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen Financial Services AG, is one of the fastest growing mobile payments companies in the world, processing more than £430 million in payments annually. Through the company's mobile web, smartphone and smartwatch applications, PayByPhone helps millions of consumers easily, securely and safely pay for parking without the hassles of waiting in line, having to carry change or risking costly fines. Registration is quick and easy, and the app reminds the user when their parking is about to expire, allowing them to top up from anywhere, at any time. In a commitment to the environment, PayByPhone became Carbon Neutral certified in the UK in 2019.
By Stuart Large - Product Line Director & Business Development, Fotech
Reduced emissions, improved air quality and faster journey times are fundamental KPIs for successful smart city infrastructure. Traffic emissions, which significantly and negatively impact air quality, are exacerbated by congestion on roads. The health risks of poor air quality caused by high levels of nitrogen dioxide from traffic congestion are undisputed. With approximately two-thirds of the world’s population expected to be living in cities by 2040, congestion will only be compounded in growing cities.
Reducing congestion and keeping roads free-flowing in cities will reduce emissions, and while that sounds like the impossible dream, the reality is, thanks to technology, that future is here, today.
Existing traffic management technology utilises sensors embedded in roads and above ground, however, for smart cities, these existing technologies have limitations. Point sensors and cameras have limited and often fixed fields of view, maintenance and access to power can be a challenge, while in-vehicle sensors that track location data, lack the granular detail for concise tracking. Floating point data can give average waiting times at a junction, but it lacks the expediency to change traffic lights in real-time to improve vehicle flow immediately. GPS can also be affected by disrupted signals in tunnels or in rural areas.
The solution is photonic sensing technology that taps into a city’s existing fibre optic cable network enabling it to become hundreds of thousands of vibration sensors that can, amongst other things, detect and track vehicle movements.
Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) works by sending thousands of pulses of light along fibre optic cables every second and monitoring the pattern of light reflected back. The fibre optic cable picks up any acoustic or vibrational energy, which changes the light pattern that is reflected back. By using advanced algorithms and processing, DAS analyses these changes to identify and to categorise the disturbance.
DAS becomes crucial in managing the flow of traffic and avoiding traffic jams. Through detecting patterns in vehicles approaching a junction or identifying where an existing traffic jam starts and ends, DAS can be used by local authorities to change traffic light sequencing in real-time to keep traffic moving and ultimately to reduce congestion, and crucially to decrease fuel consumption, to lower emissions and to improve air quality.
Combining data from DAS with air quality sensors near a school, for example, traffic light sequences at nearby junctions can be altered to reduce traffic queues outside the school during drop-off and pick-up times, or when air quality is reaching unsafe levels.
There’s been a seismic shift over the last few decades in where the global population is living - by 2025 there are estimated to be 29 megacities with more than 10 million inhabitants - and no single technology can provide the answer to the challenges of smart urbanisation - an integrated approach is necessary.
Reliable and efficient traffic flow systems have become essential for sustainable, smart urban growth, so as cities get smarter, our technology, and how we use it, must continue to do so, too.
ABOUT FOTECH
Fotech, a bp Launchpad company, is a trusted partner to its customers in over 25 countries in the smart cities, infrastructure, security and pipeline sectors. Fotech combines photonics and technical expertise to deliver world-class, fibre-enabled solutions and deep insights that empower customers to make data-driven decisions. Founded in 2008, Fotech is focused on innovation and excellence as it seeks every day to push boundaries. For more information visit www.fotech.com
by Georgina Edwards - Eskuta
Based in the UK, Eskuta are designers and manufacturers of electric vehicles for the eCargo and leisure markets offering a range of electric bikes and scooters. With the driving force to create products which are a sustainable alternative to combustion-engine vehicles, we believe electrification can bring freedom of motion to the masses, whilst at the same time contribute to the longevity and heath of the planet. Creating a revolution in the world of last mile delivery and personal mobility with electric bikes and scooters.
Whilst air quality has improved since 2010, air pollution remains the top environmental risk to human health in the UK. The use of single user electric vehicles not just make journeys faster; they also make them safer, more convenient and affordable. They help make our towns and cities quieter and less polluted and give both companies and individuals the option to see mobility as a service, integrated and accessible to all.
With the number of people living in urban areas in England is forecast to rise by 4.7 million between 2016 and 2040, cities and towns become increasingly crowded, it will be essential to rethink our relationship with vehicles to avoid exacerbating the challenges of today. 45% of all journeys taken by urban residents are less than 2 miles journey, for many people, these trips could be easily undertaken by sustainable, active modes of transport, which support local economies and have huge benefits for health. We need to help both companies and individuals adopt single use electric transportation, which will contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions, for the heath and benefit of the planet and us all.
Technological changes present exciting opportunities to reshape our relationship as individuals and as a society with the use of electric vehicles. This will help us to address urban, social, economic and environmental challenges of the current time. Continual innovation, not just with new product design, but also by developing and improving existing models is needed, creating more reliable, tested, robust and efficient products for all.
New technologies and trends mean eBike and electric scooter design is changing radically, with ever more options for people to choose how they travel. We are on the verge of a transport revolution. Innovation and improvements in transport, vehicles and infrastructure have for the past century has been slow and incremental. Radical new technologies are emerging that within a generation will transform everyday journeys. Zero carbon emission vehicles are replacing those powered by fossil fuels. New technologies, economies of scale, a re-think on urban architecture, a focus on the environment and radical idea’s will all contribute to bringing freedom to a wider demographic of people in the future. Eskuta are at the forefront of this revolution.
THE FUTURE OF URBAN MOTION
by Stephen Birrell - Programme Officer - ERDF, Scottish Cities Alliance
The ‘Scotland’s 8th City – the Smart City’ ERDF Strategic Intervention is an ambitious programme of collaborative innovation across Scotland’s seven cities. By working together the cities aim to expand Smart City capabilities and deliver city priorities through improved community engagement, integration of service delivery and innovation.
Smart Mobility has been a key focus of the 8th City programme, with projects developed to address urban challenges around transport, improving sustainability, resiliency and service efficiency in response to issues facing Scottish cities. Mobility projects have been delivered (or are in development) by Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Inverness, and Stirling. These include:
Viewed collectively, this programme of Smart Mobility initiatives across Scottish cities has ambitions to achieve key mobility, low carbon, and sustainability outcomes including:
For more information please see Scottish Cities Alliance website or contact 8th City Programme Management Office - 8th_City-PMO@glasgow.gov.uk
You can read or download the eBooks here.
RETAIL EXPERIENCE
Retail accounts for 20% of high street businesses yet is often the focal point for coverage on the current state and future of our town centres. This e-book highlights the role of retail in high street ecosystems, how commercial and non-commercial experiences need to evolve, and the importance of technology in enabling the evolution of our high streets.
SMART PUBLIC SPACES
The traditional high street has focussed on physical assets:- retail property, hard infrastructure and street furniture. This e-book glimpses the future of Smart Public Space:- the criticality of digital infrastructure, the important role that data plays in helping us understand the places that we live and the need for blended, frictionless experiences that put the human at the centre.
COMMUNITY
The Community eBook will explore how innovation and technology can be harnessed to both provide better public services and more engaged and happier communities. With data and technology so prominent in the global response to COVID-19, the eBook contributors will share their views on what they've learned over the past year and how technology and innovation could be used across multiple sectors to improve not only the delivery of services, but also how they are valued by communities. You will find examples of UK and global good practice and views what barriers currently impede smart, data-led local decision making for both Government and businesses.
This eBook Series was designed by www.alphapixa.com.
