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GLOBAL GOALS S02E08: Re-thinking Mobility


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Urban mobility must tackle an over-reliance on automobiles, which has led to both sprawl and inequity of access to amenities and opportunities, if it is to re-invent itself. Like other utilities such as water, what may have suited cities to date will not be sustainable in the face of growing populations and a changing climate. Swapping out private fossil fuel cars with electric and autonomous ones is not viable.

While digital technology can make transport systems safer and more efficient, we are also updating 200 year-old technology. Electrified micro-mobility to transport people and goods could play a significant role, as we are starting to see in the global north, as long as it is supported by high quality, segregated cycling infrastructure.

Citizens, particularly in the global south, are already spending on informal, often unregulated private transport. Governance - the public sector taking accountability - could divert this into integrated mass transit systems. Governments should also enable safe, inclusive spaces and allow urban residents to have access to all the benefits of the city.




Resources:


If you want to find out more about some of the amazing companies and organisations that the speakers mentioned in the podcast have a look at their websites:



SPEAKERS

Author of A Circular Economy Handbook, Consultant and Host of the Circular Economy Podcast Catherine Weetman is an international speaker, workshop facilitator, coach, consultant and host of the Circular Economy Podcast. She founded Rethink Solutions to help businesses, social enterprises and community groups to use circular economy approaches to build a better world. Catherine's award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook, explains the what, why and how of the circular economy. The second edition, due out in November 2020, includes a new chapter on packaging, over 100 new examples, and many more updates. Catherine qualified as an Industrial Engineer and began her career in garment manufacturing, before moving onto logistics solution design, project management, business intelligence and supply chain consulting, including senior roles with Tesco, Kellogg's and DHL Supply Chain. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport,  a Fellow of The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce), a university lecturer and has a Master's Degree from Cranfield University. She supports the Circular Economy Club as a mentor and Chapter lead for the Tees Valley, in the UK.

DAVID ZIPPER

Visiting Fellow,

Harvard Kennedy School


David Zipper is a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Taubman Center for State and Local Government, where he examines the interplay between urban policy and new mobility technologies. David's perspective on urban development is rooted in his experience working within city hall as well as being a venture capitalist, policy researcher, and startup advocate. He has consulted with numerous startups and public entities about the future of cities and mobility, and he tweets regularly on those topics as @davidzipper.


David is a Contributing Writer at Bloomberg CityLab, and his articles have also been published in WIRED, Slate, and Fast Company. He has written about topics including Mobility-as-a-Service, the uses of transportation data, and linkages between public transit, city regs, and private shared vehicles like ride hail and e-scooters. David has given talks at events including CES, SXSW, and the FIA Global Conference.


From 2013 to 2017 David was the Managing Director for Smart Cities and Mobility at 1776, a global entrepreneurial hub with over 1,300 member startups. At 1776 David connected hundreds of entrepreneurs to urban leaders eager to deploy their solutions, and he closed millions of dollars in partnerships with cities and corporations worldwide. He continues to be a Partner in the 1776 Seed Fund, and he has consulted with startups including Tortoise, Colu, and TransitScreen to help shape their regulatory strategies.

Founder and Creative Director, Biomimicry Innovation Lab  Richard loves to explore fresh ideas and concepts and is ever curious about the environment around him. He is an award-winning designer and has worked worldwide in cities, manufacturing, food systems and product design. Richard’s passion is to develop innovation models to reduce costs and improve efficiency and resilience in the design and manufacturing process. He taught at some of the top design schools in the world: from The Royal College of Art (UK); The Pratt Institute (USA); Vellore Institute of Technology (India); and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary). Richard is also the founder of the non-profit Biomimicry UK, an equine technology startup, Smart Stable Limited, whilst sitting on several advisory boards. He combines design work with research development via the Design Society and the ISO Standards in Biomimetics.

LAURA FOX

General Manager, Citi Bike,

Lyft Bikes and Scooters


Laura Fox is currently Lyft's General Manager for Citi Bike, where she oversees strategy, growth, operations, marketing, new product launches, and the local P&L - as well as community engagement and city partnerships. In recognition of her leadership in NYC, she was named to City&State’s Transportation Power 100 and NYC’s Mayoral COVID recovery taskforce. Laura is also a professor of MBA strategy at NYU Stern School of Business.


Previously, Laura worked for Sidewalk Labs, an Alphabet company dedicated to building the city of the future through urban tech; worked at the Boston Consulting Group and led projects for urban mobility, technology, and cultural organizations; edited a book on bottom-up urban development and innovation ("Order Without Design" by Alain Bertaud); built a conversation game focused on deepening human connections; delivered a TED talk on the role of curiosity and ignorance in the creative process; created digital strategies and products in the Americas, Middle East, and Asia for social enterprises; and more.


Outside of work, Laura lives in Brooklyn with her husband Anthony and dog Bagel - and is a startup mentor/advisor, on the board of Governor’s Island and BCG’s alumni group, and leadership committee of LISC and the Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD).


Founder and Creative Director, Biomimicry Innovation Lab  Richard loves to explore fresh ideas and concepts and is ever curious about the environment around him. He is an award-winning designer and has worked worldwide in cities, manufacturing, food systems and product design. Richard’s passion is to develop innovation models to reduce costs and improve efficiency and resilience in the design and manufacturing process. He taught at some of the top design schools in the world: from The Royal College of Art (UK); The Pratt Institute (USA); Vellore Institute of Technology (India); and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary). Richard is also the founder of the non-profit Biomimicry UK, an equine technology startup, Smart Stable Limited, whilst sitting on several advisory boards. He combines design work with research development via the Design Society and the ISO Standards in Biomimetics.

DORINA POJANI

Senior Lecturer,

University of Queensland


Dorina Pojani is an urban planning academic based at The University of Queensland, Australia. Her research interests encompass built environment topics (urban design, urban transport, and urban housing) in both the Global North and South. She has studied and worked in the USA, Belgium, and the Netherlands, in addition to her native Albania, and has held guest teaching and research positions in Austria, Chile, and Italy. She has also been a consultant for various UN agencies including UNDP, UNESCAP, and UN Habitat.


CHARITY


For this episode we will be supporting SINA by donating £100 for Every 100 Listeners which will allow :


  • One young urban refugee in Uganda supported to join SINA for 6 months to unleash his/her potential

Marginalized youth and refugees lack opportunities to create a dignified life and are expected to remain in poverty. Social Innovation Academies in East Africa are transforming the educational system and allowing marginalized communities to create their own solutions and social enterprises tackling root causes of social problems.



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