5 Takeaways from MobiliseYourCity’s 2024 Experience
As MobiliseYourCity marked its tenth year, 2024 emerged as a turning point, not just in scale, but in demonstrating tangible impacts on how cities, governments, and practitioners engage with and implement sustainable urban mobility. The following five key takeaways provide qualitative insights that capture how MobiliseYourCity’s role, influence, and learning evolved, particularly in 2024, reflecting both its legacy and forward momentum.
1. Bridging the gap: From planning to implementation
Members cities have adopted Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and National Urban Mobility Policies and Investment Programmes (NUMPs) as key components of their mobility planning. However, the political, institutional, or contextual challenges in some cities can hinder or slow down the transition from strategy to execution. In this response, MobiliseYourCity has actively supported cities to these challenges by cities by (1) encouraging the development of pilot projects; (2) offering technical tools; and (3) facilitating thematic working groups. These efforts help translate plans into action, effectively bridging the gap between vision and delivery.
2. Strengthening mobility governance: A catalyst for accelerated progress
Effective mobility governance refers to the coordinated systems and processes through which governmental institutions, supported by strong political will, manage and guide the planning, implementation, and success of mobility projects. This demonstrates that achieving sustainable outcomes depends not solely on strategic plans or investments, but also on the presence of institutions equipped with the necessary skills and systems. In this context, MobiliseYourCity, in 2024, continued to advance its mission by (1) organising capacity-building sessions for government officials and practitioners; (2) engaging in advocacy events; and (3) preparing to launch a Governance Toolkit designed to foster and sustain robust mobility governance across its network of member cities.
3. Equipping African members with training materials for replication and long-term impact
In 2024, African cities represented a significant proportion of online training participants, emphasising the strong regional demand for practical knowledge and peer learning. More than nine external organisations co-hosted 12 training sessions in collaboration with the Secretariat, demonstrating MobiliseYourCity’s role as a leading knowledge provider. Training materials on topics such as the introduction of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPS), integrating gender into urban mobility, and contracting for paratransit reform are increasingly being adapted and replicated at the local level. Therefore, these efforts are amplifying the impact of the sessions and contributing to the advancement of sustainable mobility planning.
4. Driving inclusive engagement: Multilingual communication in knowledge dissemination
In 2024, the most-read articles were evenly distributed across English, French, and Spanish, highlighting the strategic value of maintaining trilingual communications. MobiliseYourCity remains committed to ensuring that all major publications and resources are available in its three working languages, making global knowledge truly inclusive and actionable.
5. Expanding the network and working groups to strengthen global collaboration
The addition of nine new member cities to the MobiliseYourCity Partnership in 2024, alongside the active participation of Communities of Practice and partners, reflects the growing trust in the Secretariat as a global connector. To further catalyse action, the Secretariat launched three new working groups on:
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Urban logistics
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Paratransit decarbonisation
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Private sector engagement
These groups serve as collaborative spaces for co-creating solutions and driving tangible progress from planning to implementation.
These takeaways demonstrate that MobiliseYourCity is not only facilitating learning but also actively reshaping how cities plan, govern, collaborate, and address sustainable mobility challenges.
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