In June, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) released a report on the Future of Cities, which considers how cities can address future mobility challenges. The report highlights the factors which are contributing to change in urban areas, brings attention to future challenges and sets out how cities can adopt solutions to develop cities of the future.

The report primarily addresses European cities, although it also considers other cities around the world, as many of the issues discussed are of global significance. The report draws on insights from the broader research community, as well as directly from municipalities, international organisations and other Commission experts. 

In addition, the report is complemented by a platform, which will provide case studies, discussions, interactive maps and further content updates.

The report makes the following key points about how cities can address future mobility challenges:  

• It identifies mobility as one of the sectors which will face the greatest level of change in the coming years, due to innovation and behavioural change.
• It notes that the ownership of private vehicles is expected to fall, due to the rise of 'Mobility as a Service' (MaaS) and the increase of multimodality in cities. 
• The rise of autonomous electric vehicle uptake in cities brings challenges and benefits. Although these vehicles will contribute to a reduction in air pollution and congestion, thus improving environmental and human health, there is the potential that the increasing prominence of these vehicles will result in negative socio-economic impacts, as existing professions are threatened.
• An update to existing legislation and governance is likely to be necessary, as the mobility system changes and new modes enter the transport network. This will need to ensure that the addition of new modes complements existing services, such as public transport, rather than representing competing with these. 

For more detail on the mobility section and other key points, visit the portal or read the report.

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