Cities & Transportation

Strategies to shift automobile dependence to active transportation are already part of a sustainable agenda for several cities around the world. As a successful example is Hong Kong, with over 5million people commuting mostly through the mass transportation system. Due its challenge topographic area, Hong Kong has walkability and integration of the transportation system as strategies guiding the city’s urban plan. Those who had the opportunity to visit the city saw the high density in the urban development and the diversification in the land use with easy access to rail stations. Some European cities have also a long history in resisting the use of car, Copenhagen is one of them. With a population over 1.7 million, the city have emphasized the use of bicycle and the pedestrianization in order to make the streets more attractive. Also stimulates outdoors activities as festivals, streets performance, and free markets in order to create a sense of place with a sociable atmosphere. Even heavily automobile dependence American cities are showing signs of commitment to be more sustainable. Chicago is using BRTs to appeal to the public use, its new project accounts for three buses lines linking downtown to south, east to west, and north to south crossing the other lines. However, there is still a general market mindset with investments in roads and suburbs expanding across the United States, but fortunately it is not anymore an unanimous American Dream. The cities that are taking the role of changing their auto dependence will certainly become future examples that a new sustainable development is economic possible and social accepted.