A Cross-Domain Approach to Sustainable Urban Mobility

Lecture Details

A Cross-Domain Approach to Sustainable Urban Mobility

20 May 2025
11.00 AM - Istanbul
4.00 PM - Singapore
6.00 PM - Sydney
Zoom Webinar

Lecture Video

Synopsis

As cities across the globe grapple with mounting mobility challenges—congestion, pollution, infrastructure gaps, and unequal access—there is an urgent need to reimagine mobility through cross-sector innovation and collaborative problem solving. This webinar will explore how cities can adopt a cross-domain approach to facilitate the transition towards sustainable mobility, by integrating digital innovation, governance reform, climate action, and inclusive planning.

This webinar series is a joint initiative under the recently signed MoU between Singapore’s Centre for Liveable Cities and the UNDP Singapore Global Centre. It aims to leverage the expertise and networks of both institutions to create sustainable cities and deploy innovative urban solutions.

A Cross-Domain Approach to Sustainable Mobility

Urban mobility is central to sustainable urban development, shaping access to jobs, education, healthcare, and essential services. As cities expand, especially in developing countries, mobility challenges are becoming more complex and deeply intertwined with climate change, inequality, economic opportunity, and public health.

Mobility challenges such as congestion, pollution, infrastructure gaps, and unequal access to transport are no longer stand-alone issues—they reflect systemic urban issues that demand integrated, cross-domain solutions. With urban transport already accounting for 40% of global CO₂ emissions (International Transport Forum, 2021) and future demand expected to triple by 2050 in developing regions, there is an urgent need for cross-domain approaches that embed digital innovation within strong governance, policy reform, community engagement, and climate action.

Smart mobility solutions like data-driven traffic management, electrification, and digital payments can serve as powerful enablers to develop more inclusive, low-carbon, and resilient urban systems. However, unlocking their full potential requires evidence-based and context specific solutions alongside academic research, cross-sector collaboration, and adaptive policy frameworks. For many developing cities, these conditions and factors may not be always ready.

Join us for this webinar which will offer practical insights and scalable solutions on how cities can leverage technology and innovation to advance sustainable and future-ready urban mobility.

Moderator: Kevin M Schmidt, Urban Innovation, Technologies, and Digitalisation Specialist, UNDP Global Centre

Lecture Report

Sustainable mobility interventions offer benefits that extend beyond simply moving people efficiently from point to point. These interventions can lead to improved health, social, environmental and economic outcomes. To fully realise these benefits, cities must adopt integrated cross-domain solutions supported by key enablers such as cross-sector collaboration, data-driven methodologies and strong governance frameworks.

At the CLC-UNDP Webinar, panellists Lynette Cheah, Ray Krishna, Alexandru Pelivan and Ina Olearciuc explored how cities can harness technology and innovation to create a sustainable urban future. The session was moderated by Kevin Schmidt (UNDP).

Unlocking Cross-Domain Benefits of Sustainable Mobility

Setting the context of the session, Shawn Tan, Deputy Director (Research) at CLC, highlighted the need to view mobility not as a standalone transport issue but as one deeply connected to other urban challenges. He introduced CLC’s ongoing research with the Center for Innovation in Transport, Barcelona (CENIT), on a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) framework that aims to assess sustainable mobility initiatives beyond just cost and efficiency by capturing social, health, and environmental impacts. Anchored in the CLC Liveability Framework, the tool aims to guide integrated, inclusive strategies and support long-term shifts in both policy and commuter behaviour and will be launched later this year.

Panellist Sharing: Emerging Trends and Tools for Integrated Mobility Solutions

Professor Lynette Cheah identified transport equity and low-carbon infrastructure as key mobility challenges. She advocated for adaptable frameworks to assess public transport accessibility, citing Sunshine Coast's use of Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) scores as an example. She emphasised using a lifecycle approach towards greening transport infrastructure, considering both embodied and operational carbon emissions alongside circular design principles to reduce emissions.

Ms Ray Krishna discussed the transition of transport planning from car-centric to people-centric approaches, emphasising the role of activity-based modelling in understanding travel patterns for better design solutions and to implement solutions at the right time. Singapore's North-South Corridor project demonstrates this shift, combining technical data with community feedback and stakeholder engagement to implement targeted people-centric mobility strategies. She emphasised that human interactions provide crucial insights that technology alone cannot capture.

Mr Alexandru Pelivan echoed the emphasis on people-centric design and highlighted the importance of stakeholder collaboration in fostering inclusive and sustainable public services. He shared that a number of cities in Moldova are implementing a modular platform that integrates multi-sector data for real-time decision making, advancing towards a smarter and more sustainable urban mobility ecosystem.

Ms Ina Olearciuc shared how Ungheni, a Moldovan municipality, developed an urban mobility plan to transform its transport ecosystem. The city leverages technology for better mobility management while engaging its community to nudge sustainable transport choices. Looking ahead, Ungheni aims to enhance its digital infrastructure and advance its green transport initiatives.

Ensuring Inclusivity in Policymaking

The panel discussed how we can ensure inclusivity in our policies as we leverage the use of data in policymaking processes. Professor Cheah pointed out that data has its limitations and could be biased, thus there is a need to supplement it with real-world interactions to ensure inclusive outcomes. Ms Krishna highlighted that using metrics that account for diverse demographic needs can support more inclusive urban interventions.  Mr Pelivan shared that commitment from local public authorities to build the required infrastructure, alongside continued stakeholder engagement can result in more inclusive policies. Ms Olearciuc acknowledged that while digital inclusion remains a challenge, Ungheni is taking efforts to ensure its smart services are available to all.  

Measuring What Matters

A robust evaluation framework was identified as essential to track the long-term impacts of mobility interventions. Ms Krishna stressed the importance of clearly defined qualitative and quantitative indicators, aligned with policy goals and supported by consistent documentation and monitoring. Professor Cheah echoed this, adding that indicators should reflect local conditions and be adaptable to evolving policy objectives, which provide a reliable basis of measurement.

Partnerships for Progress

All panellists agreed that collaboration between diverse stakeholders such as policymakers, academia, private sector and the community is essential for the success of initiatives. Ms Krishna underscored the need to involve stakeholders early in the planning processes to build rapport and facilitate decision-making processes. Professor Cheah added that alignment between stakeholders is important to facilitate buy-in, which can also help unlock funding required for projects. Drawing from their experience in Moldova, Mr Pelivan and Ms Olearciuc shared that in resource-constrained settings, strong collaborations and partnerships with the private sector are crucial for success in smaller cities. They highlighted how such partnerships can help overcome budget limitations and enable the implementation of sustainable mobility initiatives.

Conclusion

Ultimately, a systems thinking approach is key for cities to move towards sustainable and inclusive urban mobility as it fosters a holistic approach to understanding the impacts of initiatives. Sustainable and inclusive urban mobility cannot be achieved in silos. It requires a holistic understanding of how interventions interact across policy domains and affect different communities. Through integrated planning and meaningful collaboration, cities can create transport systems that are not only efficient, but equitable, resilient, and future-ready.

About the Speakers

SPEAKER
Lynette Cheah
Professor and Chair of Sustainable Transport School of Science, Technology and Engineering
University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia

Lynette Cheah is Chair Professor of Sustainable Transport at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. She leads the Sustainable Mobility research lab, which develops data-driven models and tools to reduce the environmental impacts of passenger and freight transport. Her expertise is in transport modelling and simulation, life-cycle assessments (LCA), and urban metabolism.

She is currently authoring UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook report and UN IPCC’s Special Report on Climate Change and Cities. She obtained her Ph.D. in Engineering Systems from MIT and master’s in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.

SPEAKER
Ray Krishna
Head of Department
Ramboll Mobility Singapore, Transport

Ray Krishna is Head of Department for Ramboll Mobility in Singapore, with nearly 20 years of transport planning experience. Before joining Ramboll, she co-founded a homegrown consultancy, building a strong foundation in local mobility needs and approaches.

With deep knowledge of local context and regional sensitivities, she leverages Ramboll’s global expertise to apply tailored international best practices in Southeast Asia. A strong advocate of Singapore’s transport achievements, she shares successes globally to foster two-way knowledge exchange.

Having led landmark projects across diverse transport services, Ray proudly contributes to Singapore’s car-lite journey and champions sustainable, people-centric mobility.

SPEAKER
Alexandru Pelivan
Programme Manager, EU4Moldova,
UNDP Moldova

Alexandru Pelivan is an experienced development professional with over two decades of expertise in democratic governance, public administration reform, and regional development. He currently manages the €23 million EU4Moldova: Focal Regions Programme, implemented by UNDP with EU funding, which promotes inclusive and sustainable local development in Cahul and Ungheni. The programme supports innovation in public service delivery, strengthens local governance, and enhances economic resilience in Moldova’s regions.

Alexandru has held leadership roles in several flagship donor-funded programmes, including USAID, UNDP, as well as the UK’s Good Governance Fund. His work has focused on strengthening institutional capacity at the local level, introducing digital governance tools, and promoting transparency and citizen engagement.

With a background in public administration and a strong track record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder programmes, Alexandru brings strategic vision and practical expertise to local development efforts. He is a skilled team leader, experienced in working with public institutions, civil society, and international partners.

He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and speaks Romanian, English, and Russian.

SPEAKER
Ina Olearciuc
Interim Director,
Ungheni Intercommunity Development Association
Moldova

Ina Olearciuc is a development professional with extensive experience in local governance, inter-municipal cooperation, and urban development. She currently serves as Interim Director of the Ungheni Intercommunity Development Association, where she leads the implementation of joint projects aimed at improving public services across member communities.

Previously, Ina worked at Ungheni City Hall as a specialist in investment attraction and project management, contributing to strategic planning and the rollout of sustainable urban initiatives. She has also served as a consultant for the Resource Center for Local and Regional Sustainable Development, supporting European integration efforts and fostering cross-border partnerships.

Ina holds a Master's degree in International Relations and is passionate about collaborative, community-driven development.