York has been announced as one of only 10 cities on the shortlist for the $9-million Toyota Mobility Foundation Sustainable Cities Challenge, one of only two in Europe and the only UK city.
The Toyota Mobility Foundation, in partnership with Challenge Works and World Resources Institute, launched the Challenge in June 2023. The global mobility challenge helps cities prepare for the future and will support innovation with the potential to transform the lives of millions of people around the world.
York wants to find new innovative solutions to turn its existing fragmented ‘fleets’ of public transportation, shared transportation, and private vehicles into a more cohesive virtual fleet to enable better urban management of total vehicle movements for people and goods.
Transport is almost a third of York’s total emissions, negatively impacting health, wellbeing, and the city’s architectural heritage. A 2030 Net Zero target recognises the need to cut vehicle miles by 20% and to shrink the impact of each journey is critical. York’s Challenge would seek to empower sustainable mode choices while increasing the affordability of passenger and goods movements
While the current focus for York’s entry is cohesive virtual fleets if they’re successful, the city team will explore this issue and other mobility issues with local stakeholders to identify how they can best support mobility systems. Open innovation Challenges often develop and evolve throughout the process as the city’s specific needs are understood more closely.
Councillor Pete Kilbane, City of York Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Economy & Transport said: “Our Council Plan, ‘One City for all’ makes very clear that our focus on our core commitments – creating equal opportunity, finding innovative ways to make the city more affordable, tackling climate change, and improving health and wellbeing – means preparing for the future, adapting our city to extreme climate events and enhancing our environment for future generations as well as delivering sustainable, accessible transport for all.
Cities were invited to enter the Challenge by identifying areas in which innovation would help them expand access to safe, affordable, and inclusive modes of transportation; harness the power of data to create connected and resilient mobility ecosystems; and reduce environmental impact through low-carbon and renewable solutions.
Michael Howard, City of York Council’s Head of Highways and Transport added, “Resolving transport is not only a city challenge, but also a regional and global one as people’s movement often impacts more than just one place and that signals a need for initiatives that support collaboration and innovation at a global scale.
Over 200 entries were received during this entry period from over 150 cities in 46 countries globally. They were assessed on the impact the Challenge would have, the receptiveness of the issue to open innovation approaches, capacity within the city, and the focus of the entry. The shortlist includes cities in Brazil, Colombia, India, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
City Challenges will identify and support innovators through a 2-year challenge with up to $9 million available to innovators and cities to support the growth and scaling of solutions.
Ryan Klem, Director of Programs at the Toyota Mobility Foundation, said: “This shortlist shows how cities of all sizes around the world face a wide variety of mobility challenges. We can see how these cities are already making efforts to improve their transportation systems and we are very excited to begin supporting them directly in the next stage of the Sustainable Cities Challenge.
The Sustainable Cities Challenge is funded by the Toyota Mobility Foundation and has been designed in partnership with Challenge Works and World Resources Institute.
