Active Transport in the New Urban Agenda: Research, City Examples and Opportunities for Cooperation

This event aims to explore the current state of research on active transport (cycling and walking) in developing countries. Given current challenges in urbanization and sustainability, designing and implementing sustainable and efficient transport systems in developing cities is of vital importance. In this context, non-motorized transport plays a critical role, as it represents a sustainable, accessible and efficient mode of transport for people in cities. Yet inexplicably, active transport has received marginal recognition in developing countries – whether in policy and legislation, or in budget, resource and space allocation. These same countries have the worst safety rates (between 40‐80% of fatalities in low‐income countries are active transport users) and the highest rates of poverty, unemployment and health. In order to implement and develop policies and strategies oriented to improve conditions for non-motorized transport on cities, governments in emerging countries need to understand and evaluate their current situation, analyze the impacts of different policies and learn from research conducted on these same countries. In this event, the Global Report & Index on Non Motorized Transport developed by the UNEP and the University of Cape Town will be launched, presenting key results from the assessment of different NMT policies. Similarly, RuedaLAB will be promoting exchange of knowledge, tools and support between researchers focused on NMT, in order to encourage better practices among developing countries as well as promoting the development of a permanent platform focused on this exchange. Finally, Ciudad Humana will present the results of a study conducted on five cities in Latin America, which evaluates the state of cycling in each of them and illustrates the reasons for cycling, characterizes the population who cycle and evaluates the problems faced by cyclists in Latin America.