Faced with climate and public health challenges, local authorities must rethink how they welcome residents and visitors. Urban calming, access to nature, resilient infrastructure: local authorities are seeking to reconcile attractiveness, quality of life, and environmental preservation. To achieve this, concrete usage data enables them to move from observation to action.
This article explores five major trends: the development of walking in cities, the regulation of tourist flows, the safety of active modes of transport, “15-minute cities,” and the integration of mobility into climate policies. Discover how flow analysis informs decisions on these issues!
|
Walking, an often overlooked form of active mobility, is once again being promoted politically to reduce pollution and improve public health. The central role of walking in Europe is confirmed in numerous mobility barometers and surveys, which also show a recent increase in the practice. In the U.S. as of today, walking is a severely underutilized form of transportation despite its many benefits (see this Streetspress article for reference).
Many organizations are quickly realizing the value increased walkability for improving quality of life and commercial attractiveness. From an economic standpoint, making an area more walkable has been shown to increase property values, support local business, attract skilled workers, and promote tourism (source: Ten economic benefits of walkable places | CNU). |
On the health side, a more walkable city helps people become more physically active. In the United States, a 2025 study found that people who move to more walkable cities add an average of about 1,100 steps per day, or about 11 minutes of additional walking. If all U.S. communities offered the same ease of walking as cities such as Chicago or Philadelphia, tens of millions more adults would meet physical activity recommendations (source)
Our new VisitorFlow solution helps cities to objectively assess pedestrian activity:
Interested in this solution to develop walking? Download a sample report for free just below!
|
In recent years, many tourist sites, particularly natural and heritage sites, have experienced a very high concentration of visitors. After having completely recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic, dubbed "the worst year in tourism history," international tourism is set for a new record in 2025. According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, more than 1.1 billion tourists traveled internationally in the first nine months of 2025, putting the industry on track to exceed 2024 (and 2019) by 3 to 5 percent. |
To address these issues, park managers are implementing strategies that combine close monitoring of visitor numbers, access regulation, and awareness-raising.
And regulation does not mean dissatisfaction! The Stołowe Mountains National Park in Poland has shown that it is possible to improve visitor satisfaction while increasing overall visitor numbers. By implementing quotas and encouraging visitors to explore other areas of the park, overcrowding on the two most popular trails was reduced, and the total number of visitors increased slightly. The result: a dramatic drop in dissatisfaction related to overcrowding, from 53% to just 19%!
More and more regions are also turning to real-time information to smooth out visitor numbers. Measuring and sharing visitor numbers live allows those in charge to direct visitors to less busy time slots or alternative sites.
VisitorFlow combines reliable field measurements (continuous counts) and qualitative information (GPS traces, telephone data) to enable managers to:
|
Real-time information: In addition to this solution, we can provide data in near real time via open protocols, feeding, for example, the Uncrowded.se platform in Sweden or dynamic display solutions to inform visitors of crowded parking lots or access entrances. Unlike partial floating data, our field counts offer the representativeness and reliability necessary to secure operational decisions. |
Discover VisitorFlow in video:
A major roadblock for increasing active mode share in many American cities is a lack of safety.
According to recent data, cyclist deaths hit a record high of 1,166 in the U.S. in 2024. At the same time, pedestrian traffic fatalities were estimated to be 20% higher than 2016 levels at 7,148, enough to fill 30 Boeing 737 jets at max capacity.
These trends confirm that increased walking and cycling must be accompanied by speed reductions, clear separation of traffic flows, and attention to intersections. Analyses conducted in Europe proved this conclusion: cities that introduced 30 km/h zones saw a 23% reduction in road crashes, a 37% reduction in fatalities, and a 38% reduction in injuries. (source)
In 2025, Helsinki became one of the few European capitals to record twelve consecutive months without any road deaths. The last fatality was recorded in July 2024. This outcome is no coincidence. It is the result of more than a decade of investment, redevelopment, and, above all, careful management based on real mobility data collected over a long period of time. To achieve this ambitious Vision Zero goal, the city combined a detailed understanding of travel patterns, speed reduction, targeted interventions, and a reliable data collection and analysis system.
The 15-minute city, where essential services (education, shops, healthcare, leisure, transportation, green spaces) are accessible on foot or by bike in a few minutes, has become a relevant concept for many communities working on accessibility issues.
For local policymakers, the issue is no longer just about creating networked developments, but also about considering a minimum level of proximity: access to schools, healthcare services, essential shops, and green spaces within a reasonable walking or cycling distance.
Studies conducted by Simon Fraser University show that in Vancouver, 75% of residents live within 15 minutes of a convenience store, and 99% of residents are within 15 minutes by bike (source)
The data we collect for communities (pedestrian/bicycle counts, VisitorFlow, cross-referencing with other sources) help make better decisions:
Understand proximity dynamics with VisitorFlow (demo):
Climate change has created an urgent need for cities to consider the how their transportation infrastructure reacts to heat waves, floods, and pollution, particularly in urban areas. In other words, building climate-resilient cities.
Doing this requires the implementation of real adaptation infrastructure: shaded corridors, unsealed spaces, and routes that can be used even in extreme weather events.
In Charlotte, NC, a high percentage of bike lanes flood during major storms, forcing planners to act to improve resiliency for the future. Using GIS mapping, the city identified vulnerable routes and set a 48-hour recovery goal for flooded greenways—using tractors, squeegees, and real-time monitoring.
Raised facilities and green buffers, like tree-lined planters, provide shade and mitigate urban heat islands while enhancing drainage resilience. These designs reduce impervious surfaces, promote urban canopy growth, and ensure paths remain viable amid rising temperatures and storms (source).
With our solutions, you can:
The example of Stockholm illustrates how active mobility data can be used to develop climate resilience. By analyzing bicycle traffic throughout the Swedish metropolis, managers can measure changes in usage and progress toward their climate goals (carbon neutrality by 2030, fossil fuel-free city by 2040). They can also justify each new development with tangible evidence of usage.
Observe, measure, adapt: discover the example of Stockholm