Letter from Chen Chu, Mayor of Kaohsiung – February 2017

Dear ICLEI friends and colleagues,

To advance sustainable transport globally, the City of Kaohsiung will host the 3rd EcoMobility World Festival and Congress in October 2017.

Today, over 90 percent of Kaohsiung residents use private cars or motorized scooters to go about their daily lives, contributing to air and noise pollution, traffic jams and accidents in the city. To reduce these issues resulting from fossil fuel-based private transport, Kaohsiung has already implemented various measures, including the development of a bike-sharing system and different public transport options.

Now, we want to take these actions even further.

To demonstrate the transformative potential of an integrated sustainable transport system in Kaohsiung, we will make the Hamasen neighborhood, a frequently visited tourist area, exclusively open to ecomobile transport for the entire month of October. Biking and walking will replace the short trips made on conventional modes of transportation and public transport services will be increased and integrated into the neighborhood design.

We want to improve air quality and create safer and more livable streets by increasing people- and environment-friendly transport options. Through the Festival, we aim to demonstrate that ecomobility also supports the development of local economy by increasing access to local businesses.

In parallel to the Festival, Kaohsiung will host the EcoMobility World Congress on 1-5 October, focusing on the three themes that will also be woven into our Festival experience: Livable, shared and intelligent.

Indeed, the Festival will be a live experience demonstrating how sustainable urban mobility enhances the livability of the city by opening back the streets for public space and parks. The Congress will also bring together local government with businesses and mobility experts to discuss the role of local governments and solutions providers, as well as the frameworks needed to advance sustainable transport technologies and shared mobility.

By implementing shared mobility, cities can increase the mobility options available to their residents. When coupled with intelligent transport solutions, they can ensure easy access to transport-related information by the residents. The Congress will showcase examples from cities all around the world so that we all take home ideas on how to transform our urban transport systems.

I hereby cordially invite all cities and mobility actors to this revolutionary experiment in our city, to share their expertise and work together on making sustainable urban mobility the norm in our cities.

With kind regards,

Chen Chu, Mayor of Kaohsiung, Chair of the EcoMobility Alliance