Seventy-one indicators, seventy cities, a ranking that doesn’t reward the beauty of waterfronts or the punctuality of public transport. The Urban Mobility Readiness Index 2024, compiled by the Oliver Wyman Forum and the University of California, Berkeley, measures just one thing: how prepared a city is, today, to face the future of mobility.
And “future,” is intended as a specific combination: environmental sustainability, social accessibility, and technological innovation.
The top-ranked cities are those that invest, set clear rules, and plan with vision on all these fronts.
Let’s look at the factors that make a city future-ready.
- Artificial Intelligence for public transport
In 2023, Singapore recovered 93.5% of its pre-COVID public transport ridership while many other cities are still seeing a decline in passengers and trust.
How? By making strategic investments on two levels.
First, infrastructure: by the early 2030s, a rail network expansion plan will be completed, increasing total length to 360 kilometers.
Second, technology: in June 2024, a dedicated public transport innovation center was launched, involving businesses, universities, and public agencies to develop advanced digital solutions aimed at improving efficiency and accessibility.
Among the first applications already in place are an AI-based assistant capable of translating spoken and written language into sign language in real time and a conversational chatbot active in selected stations, offering useful travel information to passengers.
According to a global survey by the Oliver Wyman Forum, trust in public transit is growing: in November 2024, 46% of citizens across 17 countries reported regular use of buses, subways, or trains, up from 42% a year earlier.
2. A systemic approach to sustainability
Incentives for purchasing electric vehicles, expanded low-emission zones, an efficient rail network, and integrated cycling infrastructure are all part of Helsinki’s strategy, which places it at the top of the sustainability index.
But the key lies in the systemic approach, meaning that sustainable mobility cannot exist without a low-emission energy grid.
For this reason, a local company has launched construction of the city’s first green hydrogen production plant, powered exclusively by renewable sources – wind and solar energy. The waste heat generated in the process will be reintegrated into Helsinki’s district heating network.
This project is part of a broader national strategy: the Finnish government has established a national agency to attract investment in the hydrogen and battery sectors.
Estimated market value for hydrogen in Finland: $250 billion by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of over 7% since 2022.
3. Autonomous vehicles and air taxis
Adopting new technologies is no longer optional. It’s a necessity for cities that want to seriously address the climate crisis and ensure accessible, affordable mobility.
Robotaxis are a real opportunity to lower the cost of ride-hailing services.
Driverless trains and buses can improve frequency, punctuality, and operational management, helping public transit overcome many of its current inefficiencies.
Air taxis, already in trial phases in several cities, could help ease road congestion, especially for mid-range interurban travel.
Since 2023, San Francisco has allowed companies to test emerging technologies in real-world but controlled environments, an approach designed to support safe experimentation.
In August 2023, the city authorized commercial robotaxi operations for the first time. By the end of 2025, private companies plan to launch the first electric air taxi connections between major Bay Area cities including San Jose, Napa, Oakland, and Livermore.
Estimated travel time: 10–20 minutes by air, compared to one or two hours by car.
Elsewhere, adoption is already underway.
In 2024, Shanghai issued four licenses for companies to operate robotaxis in urban areas, and launched commercial air taxi services.
Beijing followed by approving multiple autonomous vehicle operators to run routes between the city and Daxing International Airport.
According to Oliver Wyman Forum estimates, the autonomous vehicle and air taxi sectors will generate $314.8 billion in revenue by 2035.
Today, they are worth just $1.7 billion.
