News
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Release: Report Provides Urban Design Recommendations for Healthier Cities, Fewer Traffic Fatalities
Guide for urban planners and policymakers details specific design elements with examples from Tokyo, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, New York, Paris and more.
Intersection in São Paulo. Photo Credit: Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brasil
WASHINGTON (JULY 23, 2015)— A new report, Cities Safer by Design, offers practical guidance for designing safer streets and communities that can reduce traffic fatalities and improve people’s lives. More than 1.3 million people are killed in traffic crashes worldwide, making traffic fatalities one of the leading causes of death in cities, especially in developing countries. Children, elderly, and poor people are particularly vulnerable.
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A new report examines past success, outlines recommendations for future progress
Cyclists in Turkey. Photo Credit: Serkan Aygören
Motorized vehicle emissions are a primary cause of air pollution and have some of the most adverse impacts on public health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to heavy traffic—even living near a major road—is associated poor health outcomes and high mortality rates. In 2012, outdoor air pollution caused 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide, 88 percent of which occurred in low- and middle-income countries.
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The city’s BRT network has expanded sustainable mobility options to millions
Line 4 of Metrobus in Mexico City. Photo by EMBARQ Mexico. Location: Mexico City/Mexico DF.
On Friday, June 19, Metrobús—Mexico City’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system—celebrated its tenth anniversary. Since opening in 2005, Metrobús has made a concrete impact on both the city and the lives of its users. It once took the average person more than 2.5 hours to commute one way, but the system’s segregated bus lanes have helped cut travel times by 42 percent. Reduced travel time is one of the reasons why 17 percent of users now take Metrobús instead of private cars, preventing 150,000 car trips every day.
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WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities: Helping cities make big ideas happen™
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How cities can turn ideas into action
Register now for the Cities & Transport International Congress.
Hear from over 80 experts about successful strategies and best practices for making innovative and sustainable urban solutions work on the ground. Join as Jaime Lerner, Ken Livingstone, Enrique Peñalosa, Mary Jane Ortega, and other internationally recognized mayors speak about their experiences.
The conference will make you an innovator in city management and give you the opportunity to network with leaders improving quality of life for urban residents worldwide.
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Learning from Shenzhen to ensure transit-oriented development across the country
The Nanshan pedestrian footbridge in Shenzhen, China. Photo by Chris/Flickr.
China’s rapid urbanization has dramatically increased the need for public transit infrastructure in cities across the country. The World Bank estimates that China needs to expand rail lines by at least 3,000 kilometers by 2020—a $4 trillion investment—in order to meet the increasing transit demand.
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Award-winning design manual evaluates cycling in Istanbul, provides design recommendations
Istanbul is looking to expand its network of bike lanes and promote cycling to improve public health and well-being. Photo by EMBARQ Turkey.
“Safe Cycling Design Manual for Istanbul”, a publication from EMBARQ (sustainable urban mobility by WRI), recently received an Excellence Honorable Mention from the Center for Active Design in New York.
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World Resources Institute has established WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities to encompass a wider range of issues related to urban sustainability. Photo by Christian Haugen/Flickr.
Today, we are launching the public face of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities and WRIcities.org.
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Pictured: Cheonggyecheon urban renewal project and public recreation space in Seoul, South Korea. Photo by longzijun/Flickr.
Seoul, South Korea (April 9, 2015)—The World Resources Institute, led by WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and its carbonn Center announced a new partnership to help cities worldwide reduce their carbon footprint and pursue sustainable urban development. The two organizations formalized the agreement at the ICLEI World Congress in Seoul, South Korea.
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Addressing public concerns, local and national leaders voice support for sustainable urban transport
Bikes wait to cross at an intersection in Beijing, China. Photo by Alexandra Moss/Flickr.
China’s leaders just took an important step forward for sustainable urban mobility.