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Smart Cities · Sustainable Infrastructure · Urban Development · Vertical Urban Mobility
Jens Martin Skibsted, Partner at Manyone, advocates for "Vertical Urban Mobility" as a critical solution for future urban development, addressing ballooning global populations and the need for eco-friendly expansion by leveraging high-rise density and innovative vertical transport systems.
The article highlights that traditional "15-minute city" concepts are incomplete without considering vertical movement, which is the new "last mile." Denser urban living, exemplified by New York City, demonstrates significant energy efficiency, with Manhattanites having carbon footprints 7.1 metric tons less than 30 percent of the national average, and transportation emissions of 4.3 metric tons of CO2 per person in 2018, compared to a country-wide average of 5.9, according to CBCNY and Yale e360. Future vertical mobility solutions will integrate with horizontal transport, including suspended trains, adapted EVs and bicycles for high floors, and flying autonomous electric vehicles for cargo.
The author emphasizes that efficient urban mobility is multi-modal, rejecting Urban Air Mobility as a singular solution, and calls for a holistic reimagining of city planning to integrate vertical and horizontal movement.
