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

On GDCI’s 10th Anniversary, announcing ten inaugural winners of the Street Shaper Award

March 11, 2025

On GDCI’s 10th Anniversary, announcing ten inaugural winners of the Street Shaper Award

Ten years in to GDCI, we’ve worked to transform streets around the world, inspiring leaders, informing practitioners, and inviting communities to imagine what’s possible when we design streets that put people first. But none of it would have been possible without the enthusiastic collaboration of urban leaders around the globe, who continue to pave the way for safer streets and better cities. In celebration of these leaders and their impact, GDCI is introducing the Street Shaper Awards.

Scaling up Streets for Kids in Brazil, Mexico and Zambia

January 27, 2025

Scaling up Streets for Kids in Brazil, Mexico and Zambia

Designing streets for kids goes beyond one-off street transformations and temporary events. It requires scaling up and making street improvements part of citywide programs and policies. In 2024, four cities, Canoas, Brazil; León, Mexico; Lusaka, Zambia; and Recife, Brazil, participated in the latest Streets for Kids program round, which included tailored technical assistance to implement projects and scale up the vision for kids-first projects, programs, and policies.

Streets for Kids Launches Two New Publications

November 19, 2024

Streets for Kids Launches Two New Publications

GDCI marks this World Children's Day with the release of two new booklets, “How to Engage Kids in Street Design” and “How to Evaluate Street Transformations Near Schools.”