Taking human, environmental and economic factors into account, a ranking of cities has been drawn up based on the sustainability of their transport systems. Hong Kong's sustainable mobility is recognised with first place. And what about Italy?
How often do smog levels in our cities exceed the limits permitted by law? Pollution is a problem that concerns the safeguarding of the environment and everyone's health, and it can no longer be avoided. What can we do, then, in our own small way? Our daily choices, especially in the way we choose to get around, matter a great deal. We can choose to travel in a car that is as eco-friendly as possible — electric or hybrid — and, where possible, to get around using public transport. In either case, not all cities support us equally.
How easy is it to get around a city? The answer can be found in the Sustainable Cities Mobility Index, the study produced by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) for Arcadis, a global urban systems design and consultancy firm. The research examined 100 of the world's most important cities through 23 different indicators to draw up a ranking of transport systems. The aim: to highlight which solutions can drive progress in the sustainability of urban mobility.
Who do we find on the podium of the rankings? In first place is Hong Kong, with an innovative, efficient and affordable transport network that handles 12.6 million journeys a day; in second place is Zurich and in third Paris. The top ten continues with other Asian and European cities: Seoul, Prague, Vienna, London, Singapore, Stockholm and Frankfurt. Italy appears in 18th place with Milan (preceded by Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Munich, Lyon, Beijing and Edinburgh, and followed by Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Madrid and San Francisco), while Rome occupies 40th position. The overall ranking takes into account the three pillars of sustainable mobility: people (safety, access to services, digitalisation), the planet (greenhouse gas emissions, cycle lanes, green spaces, incentives for electric vehicles) and profit (public financial commitment, use and efficiency of road networks). The ideal to which all cities should aspire is a balance between these three elements. If only one of these factors is considered, the ranking changes each time. Milan drops to 28th in the ranking that takes only the human factor into account, rises to 14th in the case of the environmental factor, and moves to 30th with regard to economic growth. The capital appears respectively in 53rd, 16th and 71st place.
"Today, mobility poses pressing challenges for cities and those who govern them — challenges that must be addressed while keeping a close eye on the right balance between current and future needs in the area of sustainable urban transport," commented Roberto Talotta, Country Leader and Managing Director of Arcadis Italia. "Mobility investments driven by bold choices will reward those cities that are able to deliver them, boosting their competitiveness and improving the lives of their citizens. This is especially true for our cities, where a far-sighted investment policy is essential in order to make progress in all those areas of urban mobility where ground needs to be made up relative to more advanced foreign counterparts."
