ACTIVE MOBILITY

Although the heat and humidity in tropical zones present challenges for active mobility, this should not necessarily exclude cities in the tropics from reaping the same benefits that cities in temperate zones enjoy. Tropical cities need to focus on the means to enhance comfort for pedestrians and cyclists. These include facilitating continuous movement, integration with transit nodes to enable walking or cycling for the first and last miles of a journey, planning for ample shade and shelter, and providing end-of-trip amenities. Enhancing comfort for active mobility is not limited to infrastructural design solutions. Cultural factors such as the social norms that dictate office attire can play a part as well. Lighter tropical clothing should be encouraged to make it more comfortable and convenient for people to walk and cycle in tropical weather for their daily commutes.

FROM SUNDAY CYCLING TO MONDAY CYCLING
The road towards active mobility can also start with the promotion of the fun factor in walking and cycling. During the Bikeshop discussion session, Danish architect Jan Gehl suggested recreational events such as Car-free Sundays. Low traffic volumes on Sundays can allow streets to be closed for public activities that let people experience the benefits of active mobility. This could eventually encourage more people to commute by bicycle.

A PEOPLE-FIRST APPROACH FOR OUR CITIES
Every person – be it drivers, public transport commuters, or cyclists – will eventually become a pedestrian at some point of his/ her journey. While some reprioritisation of road use will be needed to implement active mobility initiatives successfully, the ultimate objective of creating a safer and more liveable environment will benefit everyone. Creating walkable and bikeable cities is therefore not about putting the needs of one group above another. As the CLC-ULI workshop discussions and the experiences of other cities reveal, promoting active mobility requires the whole community to focus on reclaiming the city to improve the lives of all its residents. It is only by putting people first that active mobility can become a preferred choice for the people.

source :
https://www.clc.gov.sg/docs/default-source/books/active-mobility.pdf?sfvrsn=2f912a8e_2