INTRODUCING SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY

Avoid-Shift-Improve framework

Dr Robin Hickman

Bartlett School of Planning, UCL

r.hickman@ucl.ac.uk

Question: what policy measures and framework will be useful to

encourage public transport, walking and cycling?

Car dependent cities?

JINAN

Urban highways often dominate the urban environment – do we really want our cities to look like this?

JINAN

Urban highways often dominate the urban environment – do we really want our cities to look like this?

Car dependent cities?

What does sustainable urban

mobility look like?

RIO DE JANEIRO

Giving the streetspace to public transport,

walking and cycling

What does sustainable urban

mobility look like?

BILBAO

Integrated urban planning and public transport

– with very high quality public realm

What is the ASI framework?Thinking across the range of the Avoid-Shift-Improve framework can help us think what types of

measures may be applicable, how these may be packaged into an integrated strategy, and how this

may be effectively implemented.

AVOID measures

BOGOTÁ

AVOID measures: these seek to reduce the need to travel by reducing trip length and avoiding

motorised travel. This includes integrating urban and transport planning (transit-orientated

development), development restraint in inaccessible locations (such as urban growth

boundaries), and even reduced growth in international air. TDM measures can also assist in

avoiding traffic.

SHIFT measures

DAR ES SALAAM

SHIFT measures: these seek to move travel away from the private car to the more sustainable

modes. This includes improved public transport, walking and cycling facilities, public realm and

street design.

IMPROVE measures

MEDELLÍN

IMPROVE measures: these seek to improve vehicle and fuel efficiency. This includes the use of

low emission vehicles, alternative fuels (renewable) and shared vehicle ownership schemes.

MaaS can also be important to vehicle and transport system operation.

Giving the ASI framework a direction

Emerging innovations in transport?

In some contexts, there has been much

discussion on emerging innovative

technologies such as automated

vehicles (AVs) and drones. There is

much positive speculation – mainly by

the motor manufacturers and

technology providers – that these

technologies could solve many

transport problems.

HELSINKI

MEDELLÍN

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Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

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UN HABITAT 2013. Planning and Design for Sustainable Urban Mobility. Abingdon: Routledge.

VASCONCELLOS, E. 2001. Urban Transport, Environment, and Equity: The Case for Developing Countries, London,

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Further reading