Sustainable urban transport is key to livable cities. With nearly seven billion people expected to live in cities by 2050, the way urban areas are designed and connected will profoundly impact economic, social and environmental sustainability.  As the urban population grows, so does the demand for urban transport, and consequently, transport-related emissions. Urban travel accounts for 40 per cent of passenger transport’s global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. 

Today, many urban areas are planned around private vehicles, leading to a range of challenges including congestion, air pollution, road safety concerns, fragmented urban spaces, social exclusion and ecosystem degradation. These private-vehicle-centric models often fail to meet the growing demand for both freight transport and passenger mobility, underscoring the urgent need for more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable urban planning.

Against this background, promoting the use of low-carbon transport modes such as active mobility is key. Active mobility refers to non-motorised forms of transport, such as walking and cycling. Promoting walking, cycling and public transport as core modes of travel can help curb urban sprawl, reduce dependence on privately owned vehicles, improve road safety and lower emissions and pollution. The benefits of urban transport investments extend far beyond travel time savings by enhancing market access for businesses and workers alike.

At the same time, active mobility is highly dependent on local climate and urban context. For example, for the South-East Asia subregion, many cities share tropical climates, sprawling urban forms, and rapid urbanization trends that define their development trajectories. Within this urban environment, active mobility may be inconvenient due to road safety concerns and extreme heat. Despite the shared similarities, each city in the region has adopted its own approach to promoting active mobility.

Singapore has pursued transformation through centralized regulatory frameworks and systematic infrastructure development. The 2017 Active Mobility Act established comprehensive governance for shared-path usage while empowering the Land Transport Authority to expand the Islandwide Cycling Network toward an ambitious 1,300-kilometer target by 2030.

Kuala Lumpur's experience illustrates how cities operating within more complex governance arrangements can advance similar objectives through coordinated multi-level strategies. The federal government's Twelfth Malaysia Plan (2021-2025) establishes mandates for pedestrian infrastructure enhancement and public transit connectivity, complemented by the forthcoming Urban Renewal Act that codifies design standards for active mobility. At the municipal level, the 2019 Kuala Lumpur Pedestrian and Cycling Masterplan translates these policies into tangible networks connecting peripheral districts with the commercial core.

Bangkok, through the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), also has ongoing plans to improve pedestrian pathways in various parts of the city. This includes upgrading the quality of sidewalks, installing underground power systems for better urban aesthetics, and adding facilities for the elderly and disabled - all with the objective to enhance the experience for pedestrians in the city. There is also the 15-minute pocket park initiative, aimed at creating small, accessible green spaces across the city. Together, these initiatives showcase how urban spaces can be redesigned to encourage greater public use and active travel. 

People-centred urban mobility plays a critical role in shaping livable and sustainable cities. Each city has its own unique context, which should be explored and learned from to identify effective practices. City-level learning and implementation are important, and once best practices are identified, solutions can be transitioned to the national and regional level. To that end, having regional platforms for inter-city intergovernmental exchange, analytical and capacity-building work is important. Regional networks such as South-South cooperation frameworks or ASEAN can be leveraged to enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing. 

As the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026 – 2035 kicks off next year, there is significant potential to place transport more prominently on the regional urban agenda. Ongoing ESCAP initiatives with city governments, such as with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration in developing a skilled workforce for sustainable electric mobility and inclusive transport policies, transitioning to an electric bus fleet and assessments of EV readiness – illustrate how global goals can be translated into practical, local action. 

With “People-Centred Urban Mobility and Liveable Cities” set as a core theme of the Decade, the upcoming Expert Group Meeting on Urban Planning for Active and E-Mobility hosted by ESCAP this December will provide a timely forum to explore how active mobility can be promoted in the region, the opportunities and challenges, and facilitate an exchange of perspectives between practitioners and policymakers.