The Toyota Mobility Foundation, in partnership with Challenge Works and World Resources Institute, has launched a $9 million global challenge to help cities adapt to the future. The Sustainable Cities Challenge aims to improve the lives of people by increasing access to jobs, education and other essential services. It will bring cities and innovators together to implement mobility solutions that could reduce carbon, improve accessibility, and use data to build resilient transport systems.
With more than half of the world’s population currently living in cities, the United Nations predicts this will increase to two-thirds by 2050. Additionally, cities are responsible for 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Ryan Klem, Director of Programs at the Toyota Mobility Foundation, said: “Our experience over the past decade has underscored the importance of the local city’s buy-in and engagement with our activities. Throughout the Sustainable Cities Challenge, we are looking to come alongside cities to find innovative solutions in the areas they identify as critical to developing a scalable model for the cities of tomorrow.”
Entry to the first stage of the Challenge is open to city leaders and municipal governments, transport departments, and other related local and regional agencies. The themes are expanding access to safe, affordable, and inclusive modes of transportation, harnessing the power of data to create connected and resilient mobility ecosystems and reducing environmental impact through low-carbon and renewable energy solutions.
Shortlisted cities will be invited to attend a capacity building academy in the US and will receive support developing their challenge design, becoming part of a wider network of other innovative city teams.
In February 2024, three winning cities will be selected to host a City Challenge to attract entries from global innovators. Innovators could be homegrown – living in the city or country chosen – or may be from anywhere across the globe, but with solutions applicable and adapted to the winning cities.
The winning innovators for each city will be announced in late 2024, and the cities and innovators will share $9 million in funding to test and roll out their solutions.
Kathy Nothstine, Head of Future Cities at Challenge Works, said: “The Sustainable Cities Challenge will help those innovators interface with cities to test and adapt solutions according to local needs to improve people’s lives. Challenges like this can act as catalysts for change by accelerating innovation in real world settings.”
In addition to helping cities decarbonize, transforming mobility systems will help cities become more inclusive and accessible for the people living in them. Currently, 1.2 billion people living in cities do not have access to one or more core services. The Toyota Mobility Foundation was established in August 2014 by the Toyota Motor Corporation, to support the development of a more mobile society in which everyone can move freely.