New Global Roadmap of Action to Guide the Future of Mobility

This new action plan and analysis tool can help connect people, increase economic opportunity and productivity, and significantly reduce greenhouse gases.

2 minute read

October 29, 2019, 7:00 AM PDT

By Todd Litman


Curitiba

Marcio Jose Bastos Silva / Shutterstock

The Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All) initiative just launched the Global Roadmap of Action Toward Sustainable Mobility (GRA), a tool to guide country decision-makers on “how to” achieve mobility that is efficient, accessible, safe and green.

With growing urbanization, increasing world trade and new technologies, the global mobility system is stressed. The GRA will help tackle this urgency by taking a holistic approach of sustainability and offering concrete policy solutions countries can adapt and adopt to achieve sustainable mobility. The GRA tool helps countries identify gaps, crucial steps, and appropriate policies to ensure that transport contributes to attain the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and improve the sustainability of their transport system. According to the GRA, globally, one billion more people would be connected to education, health and jobs if we close the transport access gap in rural areas; improvements in border administration, transport and communication infrastructure could increase global GDP by up to US$2.6 trillion; and an additional 1.6 billion people would breathe cleaner air if transport pollution was halved.

“The current mobility system takes a heavy toll on our planet and leaves many people behind. In most cases, it is also expensive, inefficient, and unsafe. The GRA is the first comprehensive effort to look across the four policy goals of accessibility, efficiency, safety, and green mobility for all modes of transport with a focus on action. It serves as an important tool for policymakers to act now and turn the vision of sustainable transport into a reality,” said Nancy Vandycke, program manager of SuM4All and World Bank Lead Economist.

The GRA report is the outcome of more than 18 months of work by 55 influential organizations, 180 experts, and consultations with 50 public decision makers and 25 private corporations. Sustainable Mobility for All is an umbrella platform supported by 55 public and private organizations with a shared ambition to transform the future of mobility. For more information see the blog post: Reshaping the Policy Agenda for Sustainable Mobility, and the websites, www.sum4all.org/GRA and www.sum4all.org/online-tool

Monday, October 28, 2019 in Global Roadmap of Action Toward Sustainable Mobility

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bird's eye view of large apartment complex under construction next to four-lane road near Atlanta, Georgia.

How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years

The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.

April 9, 2025 - Governing

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

4 hours ago - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

5 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

6 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive