Land Transportation The world is moving unsustainably—

literally. About 1.3 million people die every year as a result of traffic accidents. In most cities, motorized transport is responsible for 80 percent of local air pollution. And with 70 percent of the world’s population expected to live in cities by 2050, these urban problems are likely to worsen.

WHAT TO DO?Two leaders on urban development recently came together on the same stage: Dr. Jim Yong Kim and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.Kim, president of the World Bank, and Bloomberg, mayor of New York City, headlined a panel at the Transforming Transportation conference, an event co-organized by the World Bank and WRI’s EMBARQ Center for Sustainable Transport.

LAND TRANSPORTATION It was an interesting pairing of

perspectives. Bloomberg is a leader in business, government, and philanthropy who has had an enormous impact on New York City. Kim brings a public health and international perspective, and now, at the World Bank, focuses on advancing the goal of reducing poverty and boosting “shared prosperity” across the globe. Here is what they came up with.

4 Ways to Scale Up Sustainable Transportation

1) Educate the Public Helping the public understand how sustainable

transport benefits them is critical to building support for subway systems, bus rapid transit (BRT), bike lanes, and other infrastructure, Bloomberg said. He shared an example from New York, a city whose greenhouse gas emissions are half the national average. The city maps the locations of where children have asthma attacks, finding that the majority align with locations of major roads and interstates. In a very visual, compelling way, this effort shows the benefits that walking, biking, and taking public transit offer.

4 Ways to Scale Up Sustainable Transportation

2) Rethink Roads “Roads are designed to move people—they’re not

necessarily designed to move automobiles,” said Bloomberg. “So you might want to use your roads for other methods of transportation.”

Bloomberg did just that in New York, transforming the main thoroughfare through Manhattan—from Times Square to Herald Square—into pedestrian walkways. While car advocates complained at first, the move ended up benefiting the local economy. According to Bloomberg, the walkways serve as a tourist attraction and boost traffic to stores in the area.

4 Ways to Scale UpSustainable Transportation

3)Look to the Developing World Sustainable transport systems increase mobility, but

can also alleviate many quality-of-life issues in developing nations. “In the poorest countries, if we can bring about clean, effective, affordable transportation, not only will it reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traffic jams, but give people an opportunity to have a job and a livelihood,” said Kim.

The World Bank is currently working with China’s incoming leadership to evaluate transport innovations in the country and in other nations. Kim said the Bank will then use this analysis to recommend a path forward.

4 Ways to Scale Up Sustainable Transportation

4)Share Knowledge Cities—rather than states or national governments—have historically

led the way on sustainable transport, as transit planning depends on each urban center’s unique circumstances. Cities can, however, learn from one another—and in turn, help scale up sustainable transport systems throughout the world.

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group—a network of megacities, led by Mayor Bloomberg—fosters knowledge-sharing. “Under the C40 structure we have, we try to find things that each city did and make sure other mayors know about them and how they might apply to their cities,” said Bloomberg. (WRI just signed an MOU to work with the C40 on sustainable transport issues).

“Everybody looks at cities and says they’re so complicated, and messy, and multi-sectoral,” said Steer. “Change can come much quicker and easier if you have the right kind of leadership and solutions.”

How do we, the FPS’ers use this information?

Challenges: Pollution Migration to cities Poor health related to pollution

(asthma/lung issues) Lack of coordination of efforts related to

issues Lack of understanding of the issues Traffic Lack of “green” transportation

How do we, the FPS’ers use this information?

SOLUTIONS Similar to the meeting of Mayor Michael

Bloomberg and Dr. Jim Young Kim in New York in 2013, the leaders of…

WRI’s EMBARQ Center for Sustainable Transport will create a think tank of …

The Sub-Sahara African Council (or applicable group) will create a campaign to educate citizens regarding the importance of sustainable…

RELATING KNOWLEDGE TO THE FPS PACKET

One area all of the teams can improve upon greatly is Demonstration of Research. At States, a clear presentation of research in challenges, and especially SOLUTIONS, will earn your team much-needed additional points. The average score for Neshaminy packets was 6/10 possible points in the “research” category.

FUTURISTIC IDEAS Neshaminy teams are EXCELLENT at writing

Challenges. Most teams scored at 27/30 possible points in this category. One weakness was finishing the challenge.

Example: Because ClassicMart’s surveillance is everywhere, Jen my be uncomfortable shopping there,

Finish – which could lead to decreased business at ClassicMart. Finish – which could lead to Jen having anxiety issues about

her privacy. Finish – If Jen’s friends want to shop at ClassicMart, this could

lead to Jen being socially isolated from her friends. FINISH THE CHALLENGE

FUTURISTIC IDEAS In the past, the Future Scene at States has typically followed one of 2 directions. 1st- Solved the problem in a very futuristic way, which in turn has created a new set of challenges. Example: In the Future Scene, land transportation of the future will be very efficient,

high-tech, pollution-free, and sustainable Possible Challenges

Not available to everyone “As Kurich boarded the Helio-train, he marveled at the technology. Holographic conducters, state of

the art dyno-disc entertainment center, and a gel-styro ride that made you feel as if you weren’t even moving. Sure, the cost was high, but why wouldn’t you take the ride if you could afford it.”

Controlled by some governments or by a few large corporations “Oligopoly Corporation’s new transportation system”

Uses potentially dangerous technology “The MMT (Maglev Metro Terminal) was bustling with travelers. The new, reverse-polarization carbon

magnets allowed the trains to travel at more than 300 MPH, 50% faster than the old Maglevs.” Caste system (by cost or level of transportation available)

“Keel sat patiently as passengers on the new “Mass Mover” busses disembarked.”

Only available to powerful countries

FUTURISTIC IDEAS Based on example 1, you, the FPS’ers, would need to

rely on current problem-solving skills, and apply and make them relative to the Future Scene.

Example challenge “ Because the new Maglev trains use a new form of carbon batteries, they may emit pollution harmful to humans who live in proximity to the train route.

Example Solution “Similar to the Maglev safety system in Japan, the EPA (or applicable government agency if not in U.S.), will set up monitoring stations at different points along the train’s route to measure and then regulate emissions of potentially harmful chemicals. Oligopoly Corporation will pay for this monitoring.

FUTURISTIC IDEAS The 2nd possible scenario will be” Chaos – everything is going wrong - think last

years Ocean “Garbage Patch”. The teams that scored the highest were the ones that had futuristic solutions to the problem. The winning senior team actually used an existing technology and just magnified it 20 times to create spider-shaped pods in the water, 50 feet long, with multiple arms that collected trash, purified the water, ran on solar power, and used Wi-Fi to link and transmit data. The actual pods exist, but are used to measure water quality, currents, etc…

FUTURISTIC IDEAS In order to prepare for the 2nd possible

Future Scene Scenario, we must research, and in some cases, memorize concepts, their creators, and their connection to the topic. In this way, teams will have futuristic, highly detailed, topic-relevant solutions at their disposal.

Practice using the vocabulary in your conversations about Land Transportation.

The Next Steps1) Read the Land Transportation Packet

completely2) Highlight all relevant articles and terms3) Create flashcards for vocabulary4) Create sections in your binder to

organize5) Practice using vocab words in

challenges and solutions6) Research Land Transportation on the

Internet7) Attend all FPS meetings8) Meet with your team outside of school

INTERNATIONALS