News
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295 redesigned streets in historic Istanbul help reduce traffic crashes and save lives
Former New York City Mayor and current United Nations Special Envoy on Cities and Climate Change Michael Bloomberg visits Istanbul's pedestrianized Historic Peninsula. From left to right: A. Canan Ediboğlu - EMBARQ Turkey Board Chair; Kadir Topbaş - Mayor of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality; Michael Bloomberg; Arzu Tekir - Director of EMBARQ Turkey. Photo by Kadir Citak for EMBARQ Turkey.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Experts from the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities explore “common challenges and shared solutions” for sustainable, livable cities
The city-state of Singapore played host to the 2014 World Cities Summit, which saw over 120 mayors convene to discuss common challenges and solutions for making cities more livable and sustainable. Photo by Nicolas Lannuzel/Flickr.
The decisions that city leaders make today will impact the lives of billions of urbanites for decades to come. Not only are cities home to half the world’s population – with that figure set to increase to 70% by 2050 – but the long life of urban infrastructure for basic services like water, energy, and transport means that the next decade is crucial for putting cities on the path to sustainable growth.
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EMBARQ India leads knowledge sharing initiative to advance sustainable transport and urban development in India
India's rapid urban growth has posed many challenges for planners and city leaders, like how to provide safe, sustainable mobility to the elderly. These women ride one of Mumbai's auto-rickshaws. Photo by Benoit Colin/EMBARQ.
India is home to one of the fastest growing urban populations in the world. Indian cities are expected to grow from 340 million in 2008 to 590 million people in 2030, and with that growth comes significant challenges for the country’s city planners and leaders.
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MOVE Antônio Carlos is expected to carry 400,000 passengers each day
MOVE Antônio Carlos, the second of three (bus rapid transit) BRT corridors coming to Belo Horizonte, Brazil, has begun operations. Photo by Luísa Zottis/EMBARQ Brazil.
Less than two months after launching its first bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor, the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte has begun operations on its second: MOVE Antônio Carlos. The corridor is already serving 77,000 passengers per day.
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EMBARQ Turkey and the Danish Cycling Embassy co-organize workshop on designing, planning, and implementing urban cycling infrastructure
Copenhagen, Denmark has one of the most vibrant cycling cultures of any city in the world, supported by extensive infrastructure for safe cycling. The Bikeable City Masterclass looks to use that expertise to help planners and city leaders from around the world encourage cycling in their cities. Photo by Claudio Olivares Medina/Flickr.
Copenhagen, Denmark has a long tradition of cycling. The city’s recent Cycling Strategy for 2011 – 2025 was created to ensure cycling’s place in the future of Copenhagen’s transport network. This strategy includes measures like building out 400 km (250 miles) of bicycle lanes on both sides of major streets, as well as 110 km (70 miles) of more leisure-oriented trails.
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Rio’s newest BRT corridor is expected to serve 450,000 passengers each day
Rio de Janeiro's new TransCarioca bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor will connect the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood to the Tom Jobim International Airport, and is expected to carry 450,000 passengers per day once fully operational. Photo by Blog do Planalto/Flickr.
Rio de Janeiro’s newest bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor, the TransCarioca, began operations on Sunday June 1, 2014. This newest addition to Rio’s already well-developed BRT network will connect the Barra da Tijuca neighborhood to the Tom Jobim International Airport. President Dilma Rousseff and Mayor Eduardo Paes, also chair of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, were in attendance at the grand opening to show their support for the positive impact the new corridor will have on the city.
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Building on the work of EMBARQ, WRI introduces broader cities initiative to catalyze environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable urban areas
The newly launched WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities will build on the work of EMBARQ – the sustainable urban mobility stream of the Center – to create healthy, accessible, and environmentally-friendly communities. Photo by Christian Haugen/Flickr.
EMBARQ, the sustainable transport and urban development program of the World Resources Institute (WRI), is pleased to announce the launch of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities. The Center will increase WRI’s reach in developed and emerging cities, building on the work of the EMBARQ Network, which will continue to help cities make sustainable transport a reality.
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EMBARQ India pushes for the expansion of Gurgaon’s groundbreaking car-free Sunday
Gurgaon's Raahgiri Day – enjoyed by both the young and the young at heart – has been an unprecedented success. The car-free concept has gained momentum within Gurgaon and is now beginning to spread to other Indian cities. Photo by EMBARQ.
Since its inception in November 2013, Gurgaon, India’s Raahgiri Day has exploded in popularity. About 350,000 total people have already participated in the weekly event, with the numbers growing each week. The encouraging turnout every Sunday and numerous requests from citizens got authorities and founding members – EMBARQ India, IAmGurgaon, Pedalyatri, Duplays, and Heritage School – thinking about its expansion. Beginning February 3, 2014, the Raahgiri Day “loop” of car-free streets more than doubled, adding 6.5 km to the existing 4.8 km loop.
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Conference convenes experts in transport and traffic safety during Turkey’s Road Safety Week
EMBARQ Turkey organized the Traffic Safety in Urban Transport conference to highlight the unique challenges facing Turkey's cities as they look to stem the rising tide of traffic crashes in the country. Photo by FaceMePLS/Flickr.
With the number of motor vehicles in Turkey doubling in the past decade, road safety is a growing issue for the country. Arzu Tekir, Director of EMBARQ Turkey, underscores the magnitude of damage traffic fatalities cause around the world: "At a global scale, 1.3 million people die in traffic crashes annually.
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New Expresso DF Sul system to build a more sustainable, connected Brasília
A group students is taken on one of the trial runs of Brasília's new Expresso DF Sul bus rapid transit (BRT) system during the Day One of Operations week of activities. Photo by Mariana Gil/EMBARQ Brazil.
In celebration of its 54th anniversary, Brazil’s capital city of Brasília is delivering a new high-capacity public transport system to the city, introducing 43 km (27 miles) of bus rapid transit (BRT). The new system, called Expresso DF Sul, will be Brasília’s first BRT system, and is designed to connect satellite cities to the city center (or the “Pilot Plan”).