Urban spaces

Developing sustainable mobility

Sustainable mobility, sometimes called "soft" or "active" mobility, refers toall modes of transport that have a low impact on the environment, while being accessible, safe and fast. They include cycling, scootering, walking and public transport, all of which contribute to a better quality of life in urban environments.

By developing these solutions, local authorities are helping to transform urban spaces for a more pleasant, more social, less noisy and less polluted city.

The benefits of developing cycling and walking for everyday travel

Encouraging people to cycle or walk has many benefits, for both the individual and the community:

Health: Regular physical activity improves health and reduces the risk of chronic disease. Walking 30 minutes a day or cycling just 20 minutes a day can reduce the risk of death by 10%.1. What's more, 30 minutes of cycling a day is enough to live longer, reduce stress and anxiety, reduce fatigue and breathlessness, improve musculature, prevent cardiovascular disease, reduce the risk of cancer and fight obesity.4

Savings: Cycling costs considerably less than driving a car. Cycling 10 km a day costs around €100 a year, compared with around €1,000 for a city car.4. What's more, every kilometer cycled represents a saving of one euro in health costs. 1

Environment: Encouraging cycling helps achieve ambitious environmental goals. People who commute by bike every day emit 84% less carbon than others.2

A city dweller who switches from car to bike for just one trip a day reduces his or her carbon footprint by around half a tonne of CO2 over the course of a year.2

Air quality: Fewer motorized vehicles means less air pollution. Cycling emits no harmful substances for our health and environment, unlike motorized vehicles which emit toxic exhaust gases3

Decongestion: By reducing the number of cars on the road, cycling eases traffic congestion and frees up roads. Thanks to its small footprint and agility, it's easy to weave through traffic and park easily3

A calmer city: A city that is less noisy, less stressful and better adapted to soft mobility is a city where life is good. Cycling strengthens local businesses, as cyclists visit local stores more frequently, boosting the local economy and social ties5

How can we assess the success of sustainable mobility policies?

Quantitative data

Quantitative data can be used to construct key monitoring indicators: overall pedestrian and cyclist traffic, long-term trends, average journey time, distance covered, average speed. They can also be used to compare different areas using standardized indicators such as Average Annual Daily Traffic.

Automated counters are one of the sources for collecting this quantitative data, and make it possible to obtain real, on-the-ground data (i.e. reliable, unbiased data), for accurate information on ridership.

Qualitative data

To assess development policies, other indicators and qualitative data can also be collected, notably through surveys. For example, the Baromètre des Villes cyclables, an initiative of the Fédération des Usagères et Usagers de la Bicyclette.

Frequently asked questions