Policy Innovation Evaluation and Guidance
In 2017, hundreds of thousands of shared bicycles appeared on the streets of cities around the world. Two years later, tens of thousands of shared e-scooters were added to the mix. Existing regulatory frameworks proved ill-suited to cope with the new phenomenon and public authorities struggled to adapt to it.
Users valued these services, prompting governments to innovate quickly in order to maximise their benefits and mitigate negative impacts. A successful example is the city of Los Angeles: In 2019, L.A. developed a new data standard for collecting information on shared micromobility trips, the Mobility Data Specification (MDS). MDS opened new possibilities for public data governance, and cities and operators worldwide subsequently adopted the standard.
Not all innovations contribute to policy objectives; some may even lead to worse outcomes. Others may not be cost-effective compared to existing solutions. Upon request, the Policy Innovation Evaluation and Guidance workstream undertakes forward-looking analytical work to help public authorities understand the scale, scope and potential impacts of disruptive innovations and develops strategies for governments for addressing them.
The Policy Innovation Evaluation and Guidance workstream of the ITF Mobility Innovation Hub plans two outputs in 2023.
The first project develops guidance for policy makers on how to achieve a shift to light mobility in urban environments, for example by encouraging uptake of micromobility and smaller than car size vehicles. This shift requires coherent policies that discourage the use of private cars while maintaining access to opportunities. The report identifies successful policies, highlights core strategies, identifies the main actions and pathways, and addresses barriers to successfully boosting light mobility in cities.
The second project provides an assessment of accessibility of the Seoul Capital Area in Korea through an equity lens. It considers how transport system and land use structure serve different socioeconomic groups living in the Seoul Capital Area. It aims to identify potential gaps in access to opportunities and examine how different demographic and socioeconomic factors affect how citizens experience these.