35 years ago, Mexico City was devastated by an 8.1 magnitude earthquake. The 1985 quake killed as many as 30,000 people, damaged 31 percent of the city’s buildings, and razed the homes of up to 700,000 people. Today, Mexico City is one of the most important economic hubs in the region, straddling both North and…
Year: 2020
35 years ago, Dar es Salaam was experiencing a surge of informal public transit operators. The transport authority acknowledged it was unable to meet demand with its limited bus system, and legalized the now ubiquitous daladala minibuses. Today, this is still how most Dar es Salaam residents travel: packed into shared minibus taxis that jostle…
Post-Pandemic, Chinese Cities Take Stock of Transport Networks Last week, China reported a milestone: no new infections of COVID-19 for the first time in about three months. Having passed the most serious period of infection, Chinese cities are beginning to open up again, gradually. And gradually, we are seeing what this means for China’s massive…
As the Impacts of Coronavirus Grow, Micromobility Fills in the Gaps At the time of this writing, COVID-19 is disrupting peoples’ daily lives in many ways, including restricting daily travel, from optional work-from-home arrangements to complete shutdowns. While the most common advice remains to limit travel, having reliable, affordable choices for that travel matters now…
In 1985, Rio de Janeiro was coming out of two decades of military rule, and experiencing a surge growth. Older parts of the city were being demolished and rebuilt, and the city as it is today was taking shape. The city had the beginnings of formal a transit system, with the oldest commuter train in…
Transport Solutions for the Air Quality Crisis Our cities are in the midst of an air quality crisis. According to the WHO, 80 percent of urban residents are breathing air that does not meet standards for health, with middle- and low-income nations suffering from the highest exposures. While air quality concerns are far from breaking…
Why Your City Doesn’t Have Enough Cyclists More people on bicycles on the streets benefit everyone in the city, even if they never get on a bicycle. A higher mode share of cyclists means fewer cars on the street, greater safety for pedestrians, improved air quality, a healthier population, lower transportation costs, and greater equity…
ITDP, together with an international committee of development and transport experts, invites you to nominate your city for the Sustainable Transport Award. Nominations accepted between now and July 2, 2020 at staward.org. Does your city deserve more recognition for new transport, street design, or policy improvements that increase mobility and improve quality of life for…
Chennai, the birthplace of the Indian railway system, was also home to the nation’s first electric trams, in 1895. Unfortunately, politicians chose to end the service in the early 1950s, with the idea of building “modern” roads and bridges for cars. By 1985, Chennai, then known as Madras, had seen its car and motorcycle populations…