News November 24, 2023

World Sustainable Transport Day: A Green Transition

Presently, transport is the greatest contributor to global carbon emissions.

That means a shift to more sustainable modes of transport is no longer a recommendation, but a necessity. To spur change, the inaugural World Sustainable Transport Day was established, falling on November 26 this year. According to the UN, “the average annual carbon emissions per person will need to drop from 6.3 tons (2020) to 2.1 tons by 2030 as recommended by experts.”

Ahead of COP28, how is the Global Designing Cities Initiative working with cities to reduce vehicle carbon emissions?

GDCI reimagines streets as public spaces. Our street design principles and methodologies, projects, and policy work support city leaders and communities to create streets for all people, providing practical, tangible, and long-term strategies and interventions to transition to carbon-free forms of transport, and encourage multimodal access and uptake.

Reclaiming space for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit, not only creates a greener future, but walking, cycling, and shared forms of transport catalyze movement that improves physical health, fosters more social interaction to prevent isolation and poor mental health, and enables those who can’t afford a car to move around, providing the means to access education and work opportunities, as well as social and recreational activities.

To help cities design streets to encourage faster and smoother uptake of more sustainable forms of mobility, GDCI:

[See our Streets for Kids projects, new cycling infrastructure initiative, our renowned road safety work, and stay tuned to learn more about our research on air quality.]

Download the Global Street Design Guide (available in eight languages), the Designing Streets for Kids guide, and our practical “How To” Manuals for free.

More Updates

Scaling up Streets for Kids: Highlights from the 2025 Streets for Kids Leadership Accelerator

July 1, 2025

Scaling up Streets for Kids: Highlights from the 2025 Streets for Kids Leadership Accelerator

In 2025, GDCI brought together a selected group of 10 city teams working to scale up their efforts to create more and better Streets for Kids in Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador through multiple projects, programs, and policies. Here’s a look back and key learnings from a two-month online capacity-building program.

Designing Safe and Resilient Streets in Recife

June 30, 2025

Designing Safe and Resilient Streets in Recife

In October 2024, the Streets for Kids project was inaugurated in the Jordão neighborhood in Recife, Brazil, a community where children faced multiple challenges accessing safe and high-quality public spaces. Heavy rains, frequent flooding, and landslide risks often made their journey to school dangerous and unpredictable. Throughout the process, children, caregivers, school staff, and residents were engaged to co-create solutions that improve access to schools, supporte outdoor play and social connection, and set a precedent for future child-focused street transformations in Recife.

Creating Safer Spaces for Play: Tackling Air Pollution in Accra

June 11, 2025

Creating Safer Spaces for Play: Tackling Air Pollution in Accra

In collaboration with the Korle Klottey Municipality and with support from the Clean Air Fund, GDCI launched the Removing Pollution from Play project in late 2023, with the aim to tackle air pollution in school environments by implementing practical solutions, raising awareness, and empowering communities to advocate for cleaner air. In March 2025, the completed intervention was inaugurated, and the new safe play space now serves over 150 students in Accra.