We seem to use the adjective ‘smart’ a lot these days in relation to technology-enabled scenarios; smart phone, smart city, and of course smart transport are three which immediately come into my head.

Here at DG Cities we spend a lot of time looking at emerging trends and technologies, and overlaying them on to what it means for the city and its citizens. I’m lucky enough to work in an organisation which prides itself on the multidisciplinary expertise of its small team, so we are able to take a far more holistic approach to our work, rather than siloing ourselves into looking at specialisms in isolation.

It’s well documented that urbanisation is happening, and happening fast. In 2016, London was forecast to grow by the size of Leeds over the next 10 years. This isn’t really a new phenomenon, and for our cities, where the original fabric and lay out can go back for millennia, coping with this has led to a sometimes chaotic, and in the case of the last century, car-centric expansion.

Transport in our Cities

If we look to transport specifically, the idea of taking a more integrated approach to travel isn’t new; for a long time the concept of Transit Oriented Developments (TODs) have been explored, to address the impact of transport and reduce both car use and network demand. They were designed to work in two ways:

• Firstly, (as the name suggests) by locating the development around a transport hub, and offering practical and tempting alternatives to the use of the car. 

• Secondly by locating services such as shops, leisure, health and educational facilities within or close by the development and therefore reducing the need to travel.

In a comprehensive study of TODs in the US, Reconnecting America (dating from 2004) found that 54% of residents in these zones commuted by car compared to the 83% of car users in other types of residential developments.

We know city populations are growing exponentially, aggravating urban challenges like congestion and pollution.  So, what does this mean for us, both now and going forwards, transport wise? The difference, for me, between traditional TODs and the future of mobility is we now have the ability to add digital connectivity to the mix. Add to this changing trends in demographics and behaviours, not least awareness of the part we must play in a sustainable future, and the emphasis and urgency changes.

A New Way of Approaching Transport

We have more transport options than ever before, and completely new ways to discover and consume these services with the expectations of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) becoming the norm.  Tech companies, transport providers and developers have access to new, global markets for their (possibly disruptive) services. Policy makers and governments have new opportunities to support these technologies and incentivise green, efficient modes of transport, with the aim of reducing congestion and improving quality of life.

MaaS or integrated mobility is a systematic approach to solving these issues, where combining physical infrastructure and city planning with technology is central to more sustainable movement; leveraging intermodal transportation, allowing passengers to combine several modes of transport.

Looking at the road network itself, Intelligent Transportation Systems take advantage of technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics to manage traffic and mobility, enhance transport infrastructure, and provide improved interfaces for transport services integrating technical and business mobility trends, data analytics and automation. IoT connects objects via embedded sensors, actuators and other devices that collect and transmit data about real-time network activity.

The Bigger Picture

Modern life is fuelled by a demand for instant gratification and the on-demand economy is a new paradigm that aims to provide an immediate response to the demands of the consumer, by bringing opposing parties in the supply chain closer together, and building transport infrastructure around the customer experience. Given the growth of eCommerce, the demand for shipping and efficient transport methods is on the rise. Many studies show that shipping is a prime concern for consumers, and improved shipping options have a major influence on online purchasing decisions. This, in a city, needs to be managed to ensure that the private vehicles we replace through behaviour and technological changes aren’t replaced (or increased) by induced small goods deliveries to individuals. Next generation mobility, for me, sees a further move from the private car and convergence between on-demand, sharing, electrification, and connected and/or automated vehicles, and of course ease of access to mass transit.

What it also does is ask some of the questions about managing the need to travel though access (either physically or digitally) to services locally. One of the things we’re looking at here at DG Cities is how these potentially lead to changes in the way our cities develop, and how the urban landscape can change to provide more liveable neighbourhoods for the communities who make our cities. Generally, things that will have a transformational impact on the quality of life in cities. 

Sitting between the technology/innovation and the policy makers puts DG Cities in a fairly unique position – we’re working out how to make sure that the city get the best aspects of these incredible tech advances while minimising the externalities. That for me is the really smart part, having the understanding to balance championing innovation while looking at it in the wider context of the city – it’s not a ‘sandbox’ guys, it’s where we live!

If you are embarking on a smart mobility project or want to understand how to integrate transport into your broader city vision, we’d love to hear from you.  Drop us a line at [email protected].