Who gets to move? Cities driving mobility that works for everyone
An older adult with reduced mobility finds the nearest bus stop too far and the sidewalks too uneven to reach it safely. A student bikes to school but has no access to protected lanes. A worker’s bus line was cut, forcing them to rely on costly alternatives.
These are everyday situations in cities where transport systems have not been designed with everyone in mind. For many, the problem is not just getting from one place to another. It is the time it takes, the cost involved, or the lack of safe and accessible infrastructure.
Cities in the Malmö Commitment, ICLEI’s global network on prioritizing equity in sustainable development, are working to make it easier for everyone to get around, no matter their age, ability, or background. While they share a common vision, each city is shaping its approach based on local conditions and needs.
1. Affordability to address transport poverty
Transport poverty creates barriers to mobility and deepens existing social divides. It occurs when people are unable to access essential services, employment, or social activities due to high transport costs or insufficient service provision.
This often affects people with low income, who may rely on public transport but spend a disproportionate share of their income on it. When mobility is unaffordable or unreliable, it limits access to healthcare, education, and job opportunities, reinforcing cycles of exclusion and inequality.
Porto Alegre, Brazil, is taking steps to break this cycle. The city kept public transport prices below inflation and expanded subsidies, ensuring access for residents with low income. Public transport in Porto Alegre also supports emergency shelter efforts during winter through the Solidarity Transport service. Launched as part of the city’s Winter Operation 2025, it safely transports people experiencing homelessness to shelters offering beds, blankets, and warm meals. Between 19 June and 16 July, the service completed 103 trips and transported nearly 3,000 people.
Similar efforts to reduce transport poverty can be observed elsewhere. Malmö, Sweden, supports affordability with free school-related transport for students, discounted tickets for youth up to 15, and free off-peak travel for older adults. In Glasgow, Scotland, a free transport pilot is under consideration to address long-standing accessibility challenges.
In the United States, Pittsburgh is tackling transport poverty in underserved neighborhoods, where affordable housing often comes at the cost of connectivity. Through the federal Justice40 Initiative, the city ensures that at least 40 percent of the benefits from specific government investments reach communities that have long-faced underinvestment.
Between 2018 and 2023, Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure directed 86 percent of sidewalk projects and more than half of traffic-calming measures to Justice40 neighborhoods, helping improve safety and access.
Together, these examples show that tackling transport poverty requires more than isolated subsidies or temporary programs. It calls for long-term investments, consistent monitoring, and policies that prioritize people historically excluded from affordable mobility
2. Accessibility for all
Santa Fé, Argentina, demonstrates how cities can systematically address challenges for marginalized groups through comprehensive planning that combines infrastructure, education, and monitoring efforts.
With the Integrar Santa Fé Plan, launched in 2020, the city aims to address long-standing spatial inequalities and reconnect historically neglected neighborhoods.
This multi-sector strategy integrates mobility with access to green spaces, public services, and sanitation, while placing strong emphasis on physical access for people with disabilities and older adults.
The plan’s infrastructure measures include safe routes for cyclists and pedestrians, signage aligned with UN accessibility standards, and targeted youth education on sustainable mobility. A dedicated Mobility Observatory collects and analyzes movement data to ensure evidence-based decision-making.
As Lucila García, director of Santa Fé’s International Cooperation Agency, explains: “Mobility is not only about infrastructure. It is about restoring rights.”
Cities are also innovating with specialized services. Pohang, Republic of Korea, has introduced DonghaengCall, a 24-hour on-demand service providing barrier-free mobility for older adults, people with disabilities, and pregnant women, alongside a hospital escort program for elderly residents without caregivers.
In Turku, Finland, older residents are paired with peers who support them in navigating public transport systems. Austin, United States, focuses on safer first and last mile connections to reduce mobility barriers for residents with low-income.
When cities respond to the needs of those most affected by mobility barriers, they help restore rights, dignity, and full participation in public life.
3. Data and feedback to rethink mobility
Designing an inclusive mobility system requires a clear understanding of where gaps exist and how they affect different groups. This is why many cities are embedding data collection, feedback mechanisms, and strategic planning into their mobility policies.
Glasgow is a notable example. The city’s new mobility strategy focuses on regions with the most limited access, and works closely with communities to understand local needs. Special attention is given to the perspectives of people with reduced mobility, visual impairments, and economic hardship.
The Clyde Metro project illustrates this approach. Rather than simply mapping new transport lines, the project evaluates how regional accessibility can improve the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged communities through access to employment, education, and social participation. A central question guides the planning process: “Would people in this area have more opportunities to move and participate?”
This evidence-based approach is echoed in Latin America. Santa Fé and Porto Alegre both rely on dedicated Mobility Observatories that provide data to support decision-making and help keep equity goals on track. These systems enable cities to track progress and adjust strategies based on real outcomes rather than assumptions.
To systematically address equity, Porto Alegre introduced equity-centered indicators to track travel time, accessibility, safety, service quality, and affordability, disaggregated by gender, age, income, race, and disability.
In addition, Porto Alegre’s Quali Ônibus survey captures user feedback to prioritize improvements. This process has already led to modernized terminals, real-time tracking systems, and a 50 percent reduction in complaints. Cristina Molina, director of Porto Alegre’s Municipal Department of Urban Mobility, highlights the rationale behind this approach: “If we want to include everyone, we need to know where we are failing.”
Community input is equally crucial. In Utrecht, Netherlands, the public’s voice is central to mobility planning, with investments guided by user feedback to ensure services respond to real needs.
4. A movement toward mobility justice
Each city highlighted here operates in a distinct social, economic, and geographic context. What united them is not a uniform approach, but the shared goal to design mobility systems that serve all residents while responding to the unique spatial conditions of each place.
In Nansana, Uganda, mobility efforts are shaped by rapid urban growth and the need to expand access across areas with limited road coverage. With most roads still unpaved, the municipality is prioritizing infrastructure improvements that respond to socio-economic vulnerabilities.
High urban poverty restricts many residents’ ability to afford transport, limiting their access to healthcare, education, and jobs. To address this, Nansana is investing in safer, more walkable streets and developing a seamless, inclusive transport system through its Integrated Transport Infrastructure and Services Program. A digital road inventory is helping to identify gaps and guide targeted upgrades in underserved areas.
In San Luis Potosí, Mexico, the historic center’s UNESCO World Heritage designation brings both opportunities and constraints to mobility planning. Narrow cobblestone streets, dense colonial-era architecture, and limited space for upgrades complicate modern, accessible transport solutions.
To navigate these challenges, the city launched the Historic Centre Accessibility Plan, which focuses on inclusive urban interventions such as curb ramps, tactile paving, and improved sidewalks that respect the area’s cultural heritage.
Recognizing that physical constraints in the city center can limit broader accessibility, San Luis Potosí also provides free transport services for people with disabilities to reach health and rehabilitation facilities.
These efforts are part of a broader push to enhance inclusive mobility across the city, supported by growing data collection to monitor accessibility in both central and peripheral neighborhoods.
Looking ahead, cities in the Malmö Commitment will continue to advance inclusive mobility. By grounding their efforts in local needs and using equity as a guiding principle, they are ensuring that everyone can access transport systems and move without barriers through the spaces they inhabit.
