Addressing the connected future of transport

Pragmatic planning for a smart, integrated future transport system

Mission: Innovating passenger transport in a systematic and practical way to respond to rapid change.

Personal mobility is undergoing a significant transformation. Shifts in services, usage and access patterns is increasing demand for interconnected transport modes that are integrated with urban environments. This raises several unique challenges in transportation planning.

Connected transportation is a multi-layered concept. It spans communication networks and physical infrastructure based on mobility patterns, data and analytics, demographics, transport trends and legislation. Added to this is growing consumer expectation for a more connected experience. This correlates strongly with the concept that social connectedness is valued equally with the connectivity of our infrastructure.

Therefore, next-gen integrated platforms need to merge technologies to universally manage the transport network. This reaffirms the case for future planning to be considered through a holistic lens.

Siloed thinking is out

Smart transportation projects accommodate both - digitally and socially networked communities. Activities that focus on accessibility, connectivity and resilience challenges need an integrated vision.

As such, government officials, city planners and utility providers need to work together to define, shape and promote experiences that can make a tangible difference. This level of collaboration is the only way to be confident we will meet our mobility expectations in future.

We have increasingly complex ecosystems, yet to be systematically inter-connected

The transport system is a critical part of the smart city jigsaw. It involves multiple infrastructure and operating models. Future mobility relies on a combination of data, intelligence, capacity, and coordination.

In response to this connectivity and convergence megatrend, our Smart Transport Solution (STS) approach integrates thinking, systems and outputs across the value chain.  Grounded in human centred approaches, STS can be applied to a variety of operating models to ensure decisions about emergent ecosystems, like electric vehicle infrastructure, are aligned with a smart city strategy even if one doesn’t exist.

To achieve a truly integrated transport future, a holistic approach can solve some of the challenges associated with:  

1. Aligning technology solutions with consumer needs 

It’s not just about implementing the latest technology. It’s meaningfully using that technology (and the data derived from it) to drive societal ambitions.

2. Designing integrated systems for uncertainty

The shift from designing transport systems for high certainty and permanence, to designing for uncertainty, flexibility, and resilience - requires a much broader outlook within the digital value chain. 

3. Investing in supporting infrastructure

By optimising power and internet systems, cities will be able to fully benefit from connected technology.  Without foundational power systems in place, pursuing connected mobility may result in unmet sustainability targets and a loss of passenger trust.

4. Partnering for improved data integration

Not one entity can supply all the data or use it to drive outcomes; partnerships between territories and private operators, including Mobility-as-a-Service, will be crucial.

By looking through an inclusive lens, transport planners can apply the most efficient methods and tools to pilot, refine and scale shared solutions needed to support the transport system of the future.

We bring stakeholders and industry participants together to unlock siloed thinking. This helps  align the vision and think through how best to get there towards a more diversified, sustainable, resilient transport future.