WBCSD Dimensions and Indicators of Sustainable Urban Mobility
The establishes the development process of sustainable urban mobility as accelerating and expanding access to safe, affordable, comfortable, and reliable mobility.
The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) establishes the development process of sustainable urban mobility as accelerating and expanding access to safe, affordable, comfortable, and reliable mobility for all while eliminating traffic accidents, minimizing environmental impacts, and reducing energy and time requirements.
Part of this quest is creating sustainable mobility indicators that measure potential solutions, enabling urban communities to employ sustainable mobility solutions better.
The research proposed by WBCSD presents a comprehensive and robust approach to sustainable urban mobility. David Banister is the most cited and authoritative author.
In his article “The sustainable mobility paradigm”, he argues that “policies exist to promote community support in the transport system but that the main challenges relate to the need for change. These conditions depend on high-quality implementation of innovative projects.”
Transport Planning: Conventional vs Sustainable
It develops the contrast between conventional transport planning and the sustainable mobility approach. In essence, traditional transport planning focuses on the infrastructure and vehicular traffic. Meanwhile, sustainable mobility planning prioritizes social dimensions, including accessibility, reliability, and interconnectivity, impacting several often-overlooked aspects of transport planning.
Conventional planning considers streets as roads, while sustainable mobility planning considers them as streets. In these cases, traditional planning strives to reduce travel time and speed up traffic. In contrast, sustainable travel tries to achieve a reasonable travel time, sometimes slowing movement to improve sustainability.
Hence, conventional transport systems are evaluated in terms of economic impact, mainly flows and delays. In contrast, sustainable mobility systems also consider environmental and social concerns.
Enter the Electric Scooter
A growing number of sustainable urban mobility plans include the integration of electric scooters into the transportation system. This includes strategically placed charging stations, expanded bike lanes accommodating e-scooters, and shared mobility rental solutions.
Some cities promote performance e-scooters and hyperscooters as replacements for gasoline-powered two-wheelers. Recent technological advancements have narrowed the gap between electric scooters and their fossil fuel-powered counterparts. For instance, the Flash Motors Infinity X can travel 70 miles on a single 6-hour charge at a maximum speed of 75 mph.
