News
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Addis Ababa delegation visited Ahmedabad, Indore and Bhopal to learn about the cities' BRT systems
Meeting with Addis and Indore Teams. Photo by WRI India
Like many African cities, Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, is at the turnstile of urbanisation. Recognising the need to augment the existing inadequate public transport, authorities are considering implementing a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in the city. In the first week of October, a 13-member high-level delegation from Addis Ababa visited India with the aim of learning from similar projects in Indian cities.
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WRI México inspires champions for sustainable cities ahead of Habitat III with annual three day event
Closing Ceremony of the XII International Congress on Cities and Transport. Photo by WRI Mexico
On October 10-12, WRI México hosted the XII International Congress on Cities and Transport in Mexico City. High level authorities, city officials, civil organizations and academics came together to share experiences, knowledge and solutions to improve quality of life in cities. Focusing on city government, urban mobility, road safety and technical innovation, experts shared best practices to inspire smart and connected cities.
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New research from WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy highlights the need to improve transit networks and provides recommendations for how to get there
25 percent of São Paulo residents live near public transit, but, with the implementation of the city’s Master Plan and Metropolitan Corridors Program, that number is expected to grow to 70 percent by 2025. Photo credit WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities / Flickr
On September 13th, WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP Brasil) released a study showing that only 25 percent of São Paulo residents live near a public transit station—a strikingly low number compared to the global average.
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Formed in memory of Dr. Lee Schipper, the scholarship has helped advanced the field of sustainable mobility for five years
The Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship for Sustainable Transport and Energy Efficiency is awarded annually to up to two extraordinary candidates to honor the legacy of Dr. Leon J. Schipper, pictured above, co-founder of EMBARQ. Photo by EMBARQ.
EMBARQ, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities’ sustainable urban mobility initiative, and the Lee Schipper family are pleased to announce Akshima Ghate and Fiamma Perez have been selected to receive the fifth annual 2016 Lee Schipper Memorial Scholarship.
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Juiz de Flora. Photo Credit: Mariana Gil/WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities
Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, will convene in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. The conference will bring together national governments, sub-national actors and decision-makers and civil society to create a vision for the next 20 years of sustainable, equitable, prosperous urban development – a document referred to as the New Urban Agenda.
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WRI Brasil Sustainable Cities has been closely collaborating with the city to provide technical support and improve safety for the most vulnerable users
Photo by Dante Busquets/Flickr.
The number of traffic fatalities in Sao Paulo, Brazil fell by 20.6 percent from 2014 to 2015, resulting in 257 saved lives. This is the lowest rate since 1998, when the Brazilian Traffic Code was first released.
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Event brought local and national representatives together to discuss how cities can move toward a future of safe cycling
Istanbul is looking to expand its network of bike lanes and promote cycling to improve public health and well-being. Photo by EMBARQ Turkey.
Istanbul, Turkey is notorious for its traffic congestion and, according to the Traffic Index Data by TomTom, is the most congested city in the world. If residents continue to depend on private vehicles to meet their mobility needs rather than using public transport, cycling or walking, congestion will not improve. However, there is opportunity for change.
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The event focused on the opportunity of vehicle standards for improving air quality and reducing emissions in cities
Streets of Manila. Photo Credit: Stefan Munder/Flickr
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 3.7 million premature deaths resulted from outdoor air pollution in 2012. A major share of this air pollution comes from vehicle emissions in cities. In the Southeast Asia region, for example, traffic produces 36 percent of the city’s local air pollution.
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Sarika’s leadership is helping to reduce traffic fatalities in cities and make streets safer for all
Biking in Gurgaon, India. Photo Credit: Michael Cannon/Flickr
Out of the 1.3 million lives that are lost due to traffic crashes worldwide, more than 10 percent (140,000 thousand) are in India, despite the fact that the country only has 2 percent of the world’s motor vehicles. Furthermore, urban areas in India account for 20 percent of the country’s total road traffic fatalities, and the majority of those fatalities are pedestrians and cyclists.
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The LUTP program provides transport planners with tools to design more sustainable systems.
Metrobús in Mexico City. Photo Credit: Taís Policanti
Since May of 2013, EMBARQ Mexico has worked with the World Bank to host the annual Leaders in Urban Transport Planning (LUTP) program in Mexico, Colombia and Peru. Organized by the World Bank, its sponsors and local institutions, the LUTP program convenes transport professionals from across the globe to meet and learn about the systemic planning of integrated mobility, corridor management and sustainable alternatives for public transport.
