Why ‘micromobility’ data is the key to cities reaching their sustainability goals
Adaptable
NUMO, whichformed in 2019to support the integration of new technologies into urban transport, developed the tool with a group of over 50 experts from city governments, research organizations, mobility service operators and data aggregation platforms. These included the cities of Oakland, Toronto, Washington and Minneapolis, alongside companies such as Populus, Remix, Uber, Lyft, and Bird.
While it has been developed with micromobility in mind, the tool could also be applied to new types of mobility as they emerge. Sebastian Castellanos, NUMO research lead, toldCities Today: “Whether it’s a bike, scooter or magic carpet, the goals of the city won’t change, so the data requirements won’t change that much either. The tool should help in dealing with data that is coming from any other type of new mobility that is deployed in cities.”The development process also included a ‘policy scan’ which reviewed the local regulations for micromobility services in 16 cities and evaluated pilot programs in seven others.
Minimal data
Mobility data isproving keyto helping cities adapt their transport systems in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic but previously, it has also been at the centre of disputes. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), for example, has been challenged by bothUberandthe American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)over its requirement for micromobility companies to provide historic and real-time trip data back to the city, with a particular issue around real-time data.
“We were very conscious in doing this work that the privacy discussion is ongoing,” said Castellanos. “We want to make sure that people feel comfortable with the data that cities and companies are collecting. We looked at the very specific data points that might help cities answer some of these questions and tried to minimize the data that they needed to collect.”
He added: “One of the things that surfaced naturally from the conversations was that the data being produced by these new modes and companies is just a small piece of the puzzle. Actually, the data that cities need to answer some of these questions often comes from existing sources.”
NUMO has also developed an“atlas”to visualize micromobility trends and co-developed theCOVID Mobility Worksplatform with several other non-profits. The latter catalogues over 500 mobility responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery.
Castellanos said the organization’s next project is a ‘choose your own adventure’-inspired tool to help cities prepare for potentially disruptive new technologies and support smoother market entry for companies.
NUMO grew out of the Shared Mobility Principles for Livable Cities and is hosted by theWRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities.
SHIFT is brought to you by Polestar. It’s time to accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility. That is why Polestar combines electric driving with cutting-edge design and thrilling performance.Find out how.
Story byCities Today
Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.Cities Today is the leading news platform on urban mobility and innovation, reaching an international audience of city leaders.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
