The ten cities selected to compete for $9 million in the Sustainable Cities Challenge, a global mobility initiative by the Toyota Mobility Foundation in partnership with Challenge Works and the World Resources Institute, have been announced. The list of selected cities includes Fortaleza, Brazil, as well as cities in Colombia, India, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The call for applications was launched in June. Participating cities identified areas where innovation could help them expand access to safer, more affordable, and inclusive modes of transportation; harness the power of data to create connected and resilient mobility ecosystems; and reduce environmental impact through renewable and low-carbon energy.
More than 150 cities from 46 countries applied. They were evaluated based on the potential impact of the Sustainable Cities Challenge, the proposal's compatibility with open innovation challenges, the technical capacity of the city and its partners, and how well the proposals aligned with the challenge's themes. Meet the 10 selected cities below.
Fortaleza, Brazil
The lack of high-quality public transit services poses challenges for vulnerable, low-income communities on the outskirts of Fortaleza. The capital of Ceará is seeking ways to make transportation more accessible and efficient.
Bangalore, India
Constantly expanding, Bangalore is looking for innovative ways to improve road safety, using crowdsourcing to identify issues like faulty traffic lights and accident-prone areas.
Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City's historic center is the city's largest commercial hub, as well as a World Heritage site. The city needs to find innovative ways to improve its transit systems to meet the needs of its residents.
Detroit, United States
High vehicle traffic has led to serious health and environmental issues in Detroit, particularly poor air quality. The city aims to address growing emissions from freight transport as global trade expands.
Medellín, Colombia
Medellín's mountainous terrain and steep streets create challenges for people with disabilities and their caregivers. The region is seeking integrated approaches to make mobility more inclusive and accessible.
New Orleans, United States
From June to November, New Orleans faces challenges evacuating residents ahead of the hurricane season. The city is looking for innovation to help vulnerable residents evacuate safely.
Seberang Perai, Malaysia
Seberang Perai's industrial parks are highly energy-intensive and generate high levels of emissions. The city wants to work with businesses and industry to reduce the carbon footprint and environmental impact of freight transport.
Varanasi, India
Varanasi's growing electric tuk-tuk sector is highly disorganized and poorly regulated. The city is looking for ways to optimize efficiency, with routes distributed more evenly across the city.
Venice, Italy
Investments in sustainable mobility in Venice have not led to a reduction in private vehicle use. The city's unique geography requires an integrated transport system that operates by both land and water.
York, United Kingdom
York wants to connect its fragmented public, shared, and private transit modes into a single, cohesive fleet to increase accessibility and reduce emissions and travel times.
Next Steps
The ten selected cities will participate in a capacity-building academy in the United States to receive support in refining their proposals, while also forming a network of innovative cities. Three cities will then be selected for the next phase of the challenge. In May 2024, a new call for applications will be launched for innovators around the world interested in working with these cities.
By late 2024, semifinalist innovators for each city will be selected. In 2026, the winning cities and chosen innovators will share $9 million in funding to test and implement their solutions. WRI Brasil supported the promotion of the competition in Brazil and will assist the 10 selected cities in refining their proposals, as well as in shaping the upcoming call for innovators.
Via WRI Brasil.
This article was written by WRI Brasil. The translation is powered by AI.
