6 Impactful Actions Cities Can Take to Reduce Transport Emissions
Cities are at a pivotal moment in reshaping the future of transport. Shifting from carbon-heavy, car-centric infrastructure to sustainable modes of movement—like walking, cycling, public transport, and zero-emission vehicles—can transform the urban landscape, bringing not only environmental benefits but also significant economic and social rewards. By taking bold steps now, city leaders can create healthier, more livable communities that prioritize people over cars.
Here are six high-impact actions cities can take to accelerate this transition and why these changes matter.
1. Upgrade Urban Planning to Promote Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
To truly revolutionize urban mobility, cities need to rethink how they plan their neighborhoods and infrastructure. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) clusters homes, jobs, and essential services around public transport hubs, creating vibrant, walkable communities. But it’s more than just a planning concept—it’s a way to revitalize urban spaces and make life easier, healthier, and more connected for residents.
Cities should align their land use and transport strategies with TOD principles, promoting denser, mixed-use development near transit stations. This vision could align with the ‘15-minute city’, where everything a resident needs is within a short walk or bike ride from home. It’s not just about reducing emissions but also about enhancing the daily lives of urban dwellers, fostering thriving neighborhoods that offer more than just a place to live—they become places to thrive.
Actionable Insights: Amend regulations to encourage denser development, eliminate parking minimums, and prioritize infill projects. Cities like Paris and Barcelona are leading the way, showing how these shifts can create spaces that are both environmentally and socially sustainable.
2. Promote Walking and Cycling as Zero-Emission Transport
Imagine streets filled with people walking, cycling, and enjoying public spaces rather than being dominated by cars. By redesigning urban streets for pedestrians and cyclists, cities can create healthier, more pleasant environments while cutting emissions.
It’s not just about laying down bike lanes; it’s about changing the narrative. Cities need to communicate the benefits—cleaner air, reduced noise pollution, more vibrant public spaces—and not just focus on the inconvenience to car users. This shift in perspective can rally public support, allowing cities to reallocate space to prioritize human movement over vehicle traffic.
Bold experiments, like closing streets to cars for certain hours or redesigning entire neighborhoods for active transport, have already proven successful in cities like Oslo and Bogotá, where significant reductions in emissions have been paired with economic and social gains.
Actionable Insights: Designate pedestrian and cyclist-only areas, build safe and accessible infrastructure, and use pilot projects to demonstrate the benefits of human-centered streets.
3. Drive a Modal Shift from Cars to Public Transport
Public transport is the backbone of any sustainable urban mobility system. To encourage people to leave their cars at home, cities need to make public transport the most convenient, reliable, and affordable choice. This is about more than adding buses or trains—it’s about designing a network that works seamlessly for everyone.
By setting ambitious targets to increase the share of trips made via public transit, cities can unlock enormous benefits. Investments in infrastructure, like new metro lines or bus rapid transit (BRT) systems, can reduce congestion, improve air quality, and make cities more efficient. At the same time, marketing campaigns can help break down cultural barriers to public transport use, turning transit into the preferred choice for daily commutes.
Actionable Insights: Take a holistic approach, ensuring the network is physically integrated, with unified fares and reliable service. Use digital tools, such as real-time journey planning apps, to make public transport more accessible and user-friendly.
4. Enact Low- or Zero-Emission Zones
Low-emission zones (LEZs) are a proven tool to reduce vehicle emissions in urban centers. By restricting or charging the dirtiest vehicles from entering certain areas, cities can drastically cut harmful pollutants. But beyond air quality, these zones also reshape how people use city spaces—encouraging a shift towards greener modes of transport and less car dependency.
Over time, these zones can be strengthened, expanding the areas they cover and moving towards a fully zero-emission urban core by 2030. Cities like London, with its Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), have shown that such policies not only reduce emissions but also improve public health and quality of life.
Actionable Insights: Frame the LEZ or congestion zone around local priorities, ensuring that it aligns with broader goals like reducing traffic, promoting public transport, and encouraging electric vehicle uptake.
5. Shift Vehicles to Electric
While reducing the number of vehicles on the road is crucial, cities also need to ensure that the vehicles still in use are clean and electric. By committing to zero-emission buses, taxis, and municipal vehicles, cities can lead by example and catalyze the shift towards a greener transport system.
To support this transition, cities must build out the necessary electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. This includes strategically locating chargers, offering incentives for EV purchases, and ensuring that renewable energy powers the city’s grid. Moving to electric isn’t just a technical shift—it’s a step towards reimagining the city’s relationship with energy and transportation.
Actionable Insights: Prioritize the decarbonization of the electricity grid to make EVs truly zero-emission, and use the city’s purchasing power to stimulate clean energy generation in the region.
6. Clean Up Freight and Reduce Delivery Miles
Freight and delivery services are often overlooked in urban mobility discussions, yet they contribute significantly to traffic and emissions. Cities need to rethink how goods move within urban areas by encouraging last-mile delivery via clean modes like e-cargo bikes and promoting freight consolidation strategies to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
Additionally, shifting some freight off the roads and onto rail or waterways can further reduce congestion and emissions. For port cities, this means integrating port operations into climate action planning to ensure that goods entering the city do so in the cleanest way possible.
Actionable Insights: Work with businesses to consolidate deliveries, shift freight to greener modes of transport, and prioritize clean, last-mile solutions.
The Bigger Picture: Moving People, Not Cars
These six actions work together as part of a broader strategy to shift urban transport away from reliance on private vehicles. Each initiative—whether it’s upgrading urban planning, promoting walking and cycling, or cleaning up freight—intersects with others to create a cohesive, sustainable transport system. The time for half-measures has passed. Cities that boldly embrace these changes will not only reduce emissions but also create healthier, more connected, and resilient communities.
The path forward is clear: focus on moving people, not cars. By prioritizing sustainable mobility, cities can unlock a future that benefits everyone—from cleaner air to stronger economies and more livable neighborhoods.
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