How Cities and Citizens Can Cooperate for Smarter Urban Mobility
Modern cities are packed with all sorts of vehicles. Bikes chained around the lighting poles, parking lots filled with cars, scooters laying around on every curb, packed public transport — all this makes moving around the city unbearable. But it doesn’t have to be so. We have all means to cooperate and change the situation together.
The Source of Mobility Problems
Our cities built decades or centuries ago are not meant for this massive traffic we now have. The problems built up little by little, and we reached the point of no return. Low society participation as well as lack of will from local authorities to actually involve us in decision making creates vicious circle of indifference, where citizens are left on their own to solve their mobility needs. Also we have high personal vehicle ownership and low utilization rate. Parking lots in the busiest areas are scarce and poorly managed. Inefficient public transport with limited routes and inconvenient timings plays its part as well. There are no tangible incentives for the citizens to be more involved and change the situation. As a consequence, we have traffic jams and huge pollution. Not to mention all the wasted time waiting for the car in front to move.
Smart Cities to the Rescue
Most cities face the issues discussed above. Smart cities, however, have more chances to push forward the agenda for change. The first element which distinguishes a smart city is that it organizes traditional networks and services more efficiently for the benefits of its residents by using digital solutions. The emphasis is on utilising resources better and ensuring less emissions. Other essential elements are technology-based infrastructure, active environmental initiatives, highly functioning public transportation system, and big data-based decisions for urban planning. However, the most important factor is active and empowered citizens.
Data-Driven Cooperation
The mobility ecosystem consists of many layers, therefore the big data collection and analysis is of crucial importance. The automotive industry, public transport, as well as new mobility players can provide real-time data for local authorities in order to optimize urban mobility. Data-driven analysis helps evaluate existing infrastructure and model possible future scenarios. Cooperation of all stakeholders — residents, policy makers, businesses, and investors — is one of the necessary conditions to achieve desired results.
Contemporary Initiatives
Steps taken to solve urban mobility issues are mostly relying on a traditional approach of car/scooter/bike sharing businesses. While these businesses to some extent contribute to solving the problem, the actual impact is low and difficult to estimate, as community as a whole is not involved and motivated. Latest technologies of blockchain, artificial intelligence and alike allow conceptually new business models, with the community at its core.
From Smart to Green Cities with BoosterDAO
Leading by example is the most powerful strategy to achieve a meaningful change. That is the main idea behind BoosterDAO. Green cities face the challenge of changing private transportation into greener solutions. BoosterDAO.network platform offers a solution that involves the society in transforming the city transportation management. In addition, it solves current transportation situation of high personal car ownership and low public transportation usage. But most importantly, it empowers the community so that it can own assets, crowdfund and grant subsidies to develop green transportation. We estimate that the blockchain-based shared mobility solutions platform could cut the transportation costs up to 10 times, when it is large enough. This is our aim, and we’re working towards it.
Come join our team or invest in us if you share the same vision.
