Growing urbanisation and tighter emissions requirements are putting pressure on cities to improve the way people and goods are moved. The Sustainable Cities Challenge could kickstart innovation deployments designed to tackle many urban transportation pain points. The brainchild of the Toyota Mobility Foundation, this US$9m global initiative invited cities around the world to apply for a share of funding. More than 150 cities across 46 countries entered the Challenge, from which just three were selected: Detroit, US; Varanasi, India; and Venice, Italy.
“Each of these cities has complex issues,” comments Ryan Klem, Director of Programs at Toyota Mobility Foundation. “No single company is going to come in with a silver bullet and solve them. We’re hoping the innovation challenge spurs joint activity.”