On Monday, 15 September 2025, the IURC AA Thematic Network Webinar Series hosted its second deep dive session on Mobility and Transport, gathering 43 participants from cities around the world. The session highlighted groundbreaking urban development strategies, digital city management, and collaborative efforts to create smarter, more sustainable transportation systems.
Key Presentations and Insights
New Taipei City: Optimizing Public Transportation and Community Engagement
Chen Chuan Chu, Chief Secretary at the Department of Transportation Bureau, presented New Taipei City’s initiatives to enhance public transportation and sustainability. The city’s public rental bicycle system, smart public transit, and health promotion app were showcased as key achievements. However, challenges such as over-reliance on motor vehicles and limited infrastructure remain. The city also emphasized successful community engagement through street design parties and plans to further improve public services and green transportation.
Seoul: A Model for Public Transportation Innovation
Chaeyeon Lee, Manager at the Transportation Policy Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, shared how Seoul’s public transportation system serves 9.4 million residents and 26 million people in the greater capital area. With 60% of citizens using public transit daily, the city has implemented major reforms, including a semi-public bus system and an integrated fare system with free transfers. Recent innovations include the Climate Card, offering unlimited rides for 65,000 KRW per month, and the Tmoney Payment System for contactless transit payments. Seoul is also pioneering self-driving buses for late-night and early-morning services, with plans to launch level 4 autonomous buses later this year.
Pimpri Chinchwad: Advancing Non-Motorized Transport and Electric Mobility
Bapusaheb Gaikwad, Joint City Engineer at the Urban Mobility Department of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), discussed the city’s non-motorized transport policy and improvements in bus transport since 2014. The city has developed BRTS corridors, expanded electric bus fleets, and constructed 45 kilometers of continuous footpaths and cycle tracks, with an additional 65 kilometers underway. During the Ganesh Festival, the metro corridor operated 24/7, demonstrating the city’s commitment to accessible public transport. Challenges such as passenger safety in autonomous buses, cleaner air initiatives, and road safety were also addressed.
Hamburg: Urban Data Platform and Digital Twins for Smarter Cities
Michael Fischer, Head of Department Urban Data Analytics at Hamburg’s Agency for Geo-information and Surveying, introduced the city’s Urban Data Platform, a central hub connecting various city systems through open, standardized APIs. The platform currently hosts over 3,000 municipal datasets and is evolving to include urban digital twins for real-time traffic counting, cycling volume analysis, and e-scooter management. Michael expressed interest in learning from other cities about data-driven decision-making and the use of 3D models and GUIs for digital twin simulations.
Smart City Initiatives and Future Collaborations
The session also explored smart city initiatives, digital twins, and data management across various cities. Participants discussed challenges such as traffic congestion, air pollution, and data collection, while sharing best practices for e-bus management, public transport integration, and sustainable mobility solutions.
Next Steps and Opportunities
Barcelona Smart City Expo:
Pilot cities and regions are encouraged to submit delegate names for the IURC networking event in Barcelona (3-6 Nov) by 15 September 2025.
New European Bauhaus Festival (9-13 June 2026):
Cities are invited to host satellite events as part of the festival. Deadline for the calls is 30 September 2025. More information is available here.
Upcoming IURC Sessions:
Participants are encouraged to join future thematic sessions on urban innovation and strategic sectors in September and October.
