Coined in 2016 by researcher and professor Carlos Moreno, the ‘15-minute city’ concept gained popularity (and infamy) during the COVID-19 pandemic. As people around the world adapted to the necessity of working from home, awareness about the quality of residents’ immediate neighbourhoods came to the fore and debates about the development of liveable cities were robust.

Light electric vehicles (LEVs) are rapidly becoming a key component of modern urban mobility, with significant growth expected in the industry over the coming years. In Europe, LEVs are already outselling electric vehicles (EVs), with the market projected to triple by 2030 and double again by 2040. In 2022 alone, 10 million LEVs were sold in Europe, nearly three times the number of EVs sold that year.

Light electric vehicles (LEVs) are rapidly becoming a key component of modern urban mobility, with significant growth expected in the industry over the coming years. In Europe, LEVs are already outselling electric vehicles (EVs), with the market projected to triple by 2030 and double again by 2040. In 2022 alone, 10 million LEVs were sold in Europe, nearly three times the number of EVs sold that year.

Light electric vehicles (LEVs) are rapidly becoming a key component of modern urban mobility, with significant growth expected in the industry over the coming years. In Europe, LEVs are already outselling electric vehicles (EVs), with the market projected to triple by 2030 and double again by 2040. In 2022 alone, 10 million LEVs were sold in Europe, nearly three times the number of EVs sold that year.

Subsidies and incentives for public transportation have long been seen as an integral part of encouraging public transportation ridership. A recent study conducted in the United States found that metro areas that received more government subsidies per capita were more likely to run with more passengers on board, rather than running routes with just a few heavily subsidized riders per vehicle. This finding was important as it was an alternative to the widely held belief that subsidies only influenced ridership in very particular groups and led to inefficiencies in the system.

In an era defined by the drive towards decarbonised transportation, active mobility is often highlighted as a crucial part of the solution. But active mobility, which encompasses modes of human-powered transportation such as walking, cycling, skateboarding, rollerblading, running, etc; is more than just a way of getting from one place to another sustainably. Active mobility not only helps to decarbonise transportation, but it is also a pathway to improved physical, mental and social well-being; both individually and collectively.

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), one in five people living in the European Union are exposed to noise pollution and long-term noise levels that are considered harmful to their health. From sleep disturbances to cardiovascular issues, noise has also been shown to even have impacts on children’s ability to learn. These negative impacts affecting roughly 100 million residents are due to traffic noise. This translates to one million healthy years lost per year to illness, disability or early death due to road, rail and air transport-related noise. Given that the European Environment Bureau lists noise pollution as one of the most significant threats to public health, after air pollution, there are numerous action plans in place. The reduction of noise is currently a key objective under the EU’s Zero Pollution Plan for 2050, which aims to reduce the share of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 30% by 2030. And the Environmental Noise Directive is the main EU law focused on identifying and addressing noise pollution.

How can mobility providers avoid running empty or near-empty buses through rural areas but still provide public transport for the people who live or work there? And how can cities avoid private car usage during times where public transport availability is low?

Many European cities face air quality problems related to road transport, with a staggering 94% of the urban population exposed to NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) pollution levels higher than the World Health Organisation’s guidelines. The European Environment Agency recently reported that exposure to fine particulate matter, from transport and other various sources, resulted in 307,000 premature deaths in the 27 EU Member States in 2019.