North-South divide hindering transport infrastructure nationwide

The Arcadis Sustainable Cities Mobility Index has named London’s transport network the seventh most sustainable in the world, trumping Tokyo (13th) , New York (23rd) and Milan (18th). But many of the UK’s regional cities fell outside the top quartile, demonstrating the stark contrast between North and South.

The Sustainable Cities Mobility Index ranks a hundred of the world’s most renowned cities according to the three tenets of transport sustainability:

• People, quality of life for commuters and the availability of transport connections.
• Planet, environmental matters – specifically congestion, pollution and emission levels.
• Profit, the amount of public finance and economic opportunity in the pipeline.

While there is no secret recipe for effective urban transport, high ranking cities have a healthy balance across the three P’s. Edinburgh (17th), Birmingham (38th) and London each lead Europe as locations that are able to fund their transport requirements through revenues. And yet, while London allocates a huge amount of its budget to transport, it also ranks among the least affordable – not only in the UK, but the whole of Europe.

Meanwhile, in Manchester (35th), Leeds (59th) and Birmingham there is a risk that poor transport connectivity could hinder economic growth. The Northern Powerhouse will drive significant investment towards regional connectivity and boost economic potential in Manchester and Leeds, but all three have work to do in terms of improving the accessibility of their local transport services.

“The UK needs to up its transport game,” said Peter Hogg, UK Cities Director at Arcadis. “Although there is undoubtedly a lot we’re getting right, a truly sustainable transport system isn’t just about enabling mobility; it also needs to create major economic opportunity and improve the lives of those who rely on it every day.

“London, with its well-established infrastructure, efficient tube system and low private vehicle use, ranks highly but, as with all cities, alleviating pressure at peak times remains a concern. And our regional cities urgently need to catch up. Central government, devolved administrations and city leaders all around the country are embarking on ambitious plans to upgrade our networks and redress decades of previous underinvestment, but it will take time for these cities to move up the rankings.”

Peter continued: “Regional connectivity has to be a key. But this isn’t just about links between cities. Digital connectivity is also important and, when it comes to mobility, embracing new technology will massively improve a city’s potential. From smart ticketing options to considering the potential impact of both electric and autonomous vehicles, changes in the way we design, build and operate our transport infrastructure will play a key part in improving mobility across the UK. Increasingly, the highest performing global cities will be those who can embrace and harness digital disruption in mobility. The UK has to ask itself; are our cities really ready?”

The top ten global cities as identified by the Index were as follows:

1. Hong Kong
2. Zurich
3. Paris
4. Seoul
5. Prague
6. Vienna
7. London
8. Singapore
9. Stockholm
10. Frankfurt

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