The mobility revolution isn’t just about technology—it’s about the people designing, building, and using it. From traffic engineers to city planners and everyday commuters, the future of mobility is being shaped by real individuals who turn data and innovation into safer, more human-focused cities. With urban populations projected to reach 68% of the global total by 2050—adding approximately 2.5 billion people to urban areas—understanding who drives this transformation becomes essential for municipalities, technology companies, and citizens alike.
The urban mobility revolution is driven by diverse stakeholders, each contributing unique expertise to create more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive transportation systems.
Transportation planners and traffic engineers form the backbone of urban mobility transformation. These professionals employ advanced simulation software and data analytics to forecast transportation needs and design solutions balancing efficiency with sustainability. Modern planners use digital twins to test interventions before implementation, from signal timing changes to major infrastructure projects, while optimizing networks that accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, public transit riders, and drivers.
Urban planners provide the strategic vision that shapes mobility systems within broader city development goals. They integrate transportation with land use, housing, economic development, and environmental sustainability. These professionals balance competing interests—economic growth, environmental protection, social equity, and fiscal constraints—while addressing challenges like inclusive access to employment and reducing congestion and air quality impacts.
Data scientists and AI specialists bring analytical power to urban mobility through machine learning and predictive modeling. They develop algorithms optimizing traffic flows, predicting congestion patterns, and enabling real-time decision-making. Software engineers create the digital infrastructure—mobile ticketing apps, real-time information systems, traffic management platforms—that make multi-modal journeys seamless.
Everyday citizens are essential participants whose daily travel choices, feedback, and participation shape which solutions succeed or fail. Modern mobility planning actively engages citizens through digital platforms, public consultations, and participatory design processes, ensuring solutions address real needs rather than theoretical ideals.
While systems and technologies are important, the urban mobility revolution has been profoundly shaped by visionary individuals who challenged conventional thinking.
Image credit: Detroit Regional Chamber. Janette Sadik-Khan.
As NYC Transportation Commissioner (2007-2013), Sadik-Khan oversaw historic changes including pedestrianizing Times Square, building nearly 400 miles of bike lanes, and launching North America’s largest bike-share program. Her designer’s approach—rapid testing and iteration—proved transformative. In Times Square, she created pedestrian zones by simply painting asphalt and adding lawn chairs, a low-cost experiment that became permanent. As chair of NACTO, she led development of the Global Street Design Guide, adopted by 54 cities worldwide. Her book “Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution” has become essential reading for transportation professionals.
Image credit: Henningsson/Gehl Architects.
Danish architect Jan Gehl has focused his career on improving urban life by re-orienting city design towards pedestrians and cyclists. His 1971 book “Life Between Buildings” established principles for studying how people use public spaces. His methodology—systematically documenting spaces, making gradual improvements, then documenting again—transformed Copenhagen from a car-dominated city to one of the world’s most livable pedestrian-oriented cities. Through Gehl Architects, he has influenced cities including Melbourne, New York, Moscow, London, and Riga.
Image credit: Enrique Peñalosa for Citychangers.org
As Bogotá Mayor, Peñalosa transformed his city into an international model. His most significant achievement was creating TransMilenio, one of the world’s leading bus rapid transit systems moving 2.4 million passengers daily. His vision centered on transportation democracy—quality public transportation representing social equality. He created extensive bicycle networks, greenways, hundreds of parks, and implemented annual Car-Free Day, which residents approved by referendum. His work addressing equity through mobility has influenced transportation policies in cities across continents.
Image credit: Footage courtesy of the WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities.
Professor Carlos Moreno, born 1959, is a Franco-Colombian urban planner, scientist, and the visionary architect behind the globally transformative “15-minute city” concept. Based in Paris, Moreno stands as one of the most influential contemporary urbanists of our time, reshaping how cities worldwide think about urban living, sustainability, and human-centered design.
The pivotal moment came in 2015–2016 when Moreno coined the term “Ville du quart d’heure” (15-minute city) at the Paris United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21). This concept proposed a revolutionary urban model where residents can access all six essential functions—living, working, commerce, healthcare, education, and entertainment—within a 15-minute walk or bike ride from their homes.
His influential 2021 open-access publication, “Introducing the 15-Minute City: Sustainability, Resilience and Place Identity in Future Post-Pandemic Cities,” has become iconic in urban planning discourse, accumulating nearly 150,000 full reads by January 2025. Additionally, his book The 15-Minute City: A Solution for Saving Our Time and Our Planet synthesizes decades of research into practical, science-backed solutions for creating more livable, sustainable urban environments.
Today, Carlos Moreno’s 15-minute city concept has evolved into a genuine global movement, influencing urban policy, infrastructure investment, and city planning strategies across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and beyond. His work represents a fundamental reimagining of urban life—moving away from car-dependent sprawl toward human-scaled communities where quality of life, sustainability, and social connection are paramount.
Image credit: Aromar Revi at CIDOB, Barcelona, 21 November 2025. © Massimiliano Minocri.
Aromar Revi, founding director of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), represents the voice of the Global South in urban mobility discourse. With over 35 years of experience across sustainable development, climate science, and urban governance, Revi has been a senior advisor to multiple Indian government ministries and a consultant on development investments exceeding $8 billion (€6.875 billion).
Revi’s most significant contribution was leading the successful global campaign for Urban Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 11) within the UN’s 2030 Development Agenda as Co-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). He was a coordinating lead author for the Urban Areas section of the IPCC 5th Assessment Report (2014) and the 2018 IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C, connecting urban mobility and climate policy at the highest scientific levels.
Revi’s work has been instrumental in positioning urbanization as central to climate action and equity rather than peripheral to these agendas. His research on disaster resilience and climate adaptation in rapidly urbanizing regions has influenced development policy across South Asia, Africa, and the Global South, ensuring that mobility investments address local vulnerabilities and build adaptive capacity.
These leaders share common characteristics: courage to challenge automobile-centric thinking, commitment to evidence-based decisions, ability to communicate vision, willingness to start with pilot projects, and dedication to equity.
The stakeholders driving urban mobility are pursuing several transformative trends:
AI-powered predictive analytics optimize traffic flows and enable real-time decision-making. Cities deploy systems predicting congestion before it occurs, automatically adjusting signal timing, prioritizing emergency vehicles, and providing real-time traveler information. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority operate advanced systems including 112 Dynamic Message Signs integrated with AI-powered iTraffic platforms and sensors monitoring traffic speed, volume, and weather conditions, reducing travel times by up to 20% on key corridors.
Oslo leads in electric mobility in Europe, with EVs accounting for 40% of private cars and 90% of new car sales in 2024. Cities worldwide are expanding EV charging infrastructure, electrifying public transit fleets, and implementing policies accelerating the transition to zero-emission transportation, addressing air quality and climate change while reducing noise pollution.
The global micro-mobility market, valued at $61.42 billion (approximately €58.5 billion) in 2024, is projected to surge to $202.39 billion (approximately €193 billion) by 2032. E-scooters, bike-sharing programs, and e-bikes provide flexible last-mile connectivity. Copenhagen demonstrates this with more than 6 kilometers of cycle paths per square kilometer, contributing to a modal share of micromobility and walking above 40%. Amsterdam’s cycling infrastructure and modal share demonstrate that it operates at parity with Copenhagen. With 767 kilometers of dedicated cycle infrastructure, a 36-38% cycling modal share, and 44-48% combined active mobility (walking + cycling), Amsterdam achieves the same sustainability and mobility outcomes as Copenhagen, despite having marginally lower cycle path density per square kilometer.
Digital twins—virtual replicas of transportation systems—allow planners to test interventions before implementing them. By 2030, digital twins could save cities up to $280 billion (approximately €267 billion) globally. Meanwhile, semi-autonomous features and connected vehicle technologies improve safety and efficiency, with autonomous trucks tested for freight, delivery drones for logistics, and robotaxis operating in cities like San Francisco.
Cities employ digital platforms, workshops, surveys, and participatory budgeting to involve residents in decision-making. Projects like Active Way in St Andrews and Copenhagen’s EV charging station planning demonstrate how digital consultation enables broad participation while generating precise data. These approaches transform residents from passive recipients into active co-creators.
Progressive mobility planning prioritizes children, elderly, disabled individuals, and other vulnerable users. Projects like Bicycle Heroes in Dublin, Lisbon, and Rome work directly with children to identify barriers and develop solutions. This inclusive approach recognizes that infrastructure safe for children benefits all users.
For emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles or congestion pricing, social acceptance becomes critical. Cities conduct citizen surveys, organize demonstrations, and implement communication campaigns to build trust. Transparency about benefits, risks, and tradeoffs helps build support even for controversial interventions.
The stakeholders driving urban mobility have ambitious plans for transforming cities:
Vision Zero aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries through systemic improvements in infrastructure design, vehicle technology, enforcement, and education. Cities are redesigning intersections, implementing protected bike lanes, and deploying AI systems detecting unsafe behaviors in real-time. The EvoRoads project in Europe exemplifies this commitment, working toward the EU’s goal of zero road deaths by 2050. FitsTraffic’s safety solutions are crucial for Vision Zero as they provide advanced AI-driven enforcement tools that deliver precise speed monitoring, violation detection, and real-time data processing, significantly cutting traffic fatalities and serious injuries through scalable systemic improvements in enforcement alongside infrastructure, vehicle tech, and education.
The future is multi-modal—seamlessly connecting walking, cycling, micro-mobility, public transit, shared vehicles, and private cars through unified platforms. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platforms like Zurich’s ZVV app enable users to plan, book, and pay for entire journeys across multiple providers through single applications. The SMARTIN project, an EU-funded Horizon Europe initiative launched in 2025, develops advanced digital platforms to revolutionize transport infrastructure management through AI-driven analytics, real-time data fusion, and predictive tools. In Latvia, partners like ATD and FitsTraffic are creating a smart route planning tool for regional public transport coordination, piloting multimodal integration of bus and rail services to enhance efficiency and accessibility. This directly advances Integrated Multi-Modal Systems by enabling seamless connectivity across walking, cycling, public transit, and other modes via unified platforms, reducing emissions, congestion, and disruptions while promoting resilient urban mobility.
Urban mobility planning increasingly addresses climate adaptation alongside mitigation. Transportation systems must reduce emissions while withstanding extreme weather events. Future systems must also serve all residents regardless of income, ability, age, or location, ensuring affordable public transit, accessible infrastructure, and connections to opportunity.
The revolution in urban mobility is driven by a diverse ecosystem—transportation professionals who design solutions, data scientists who uncover insights, policy makers who set direction, engineers who build systems, innovators who push boundaries, and citizens who determine success through their participation.
Their collective vision imagines cities where mobility is safe, sustainable, equitable, and efficient. Where AI optimizes traffic in real-time, electric vehicles reduce emissions, micro-mobility provides flexibility, and autonomous technologies enhance safety. Where digital twins enable testing before implementation, citizen engagement ensures solutions serve real needs, and continuous innovation addresses emerging challenges.
At FitsTraffic, we work alongside these diverse stakeholders, providing technologies and expertise that support their efforts to create smarter, safer, and more human-centered cities. The mobility revolution is ultimately about people—enhancing their experiences, protecting their safety, expanding their opportunities, and ensuring a sustainable future.
https://research.google/blog/introducing-mobility-ai-advancing-urban-transportation/
https://mobility.mit.edu/publications/
https://www.oliverwymanforum.com/mobility/urban-mobility-readiness-index/about.html
