Image © Gensler
Let’s start with a riddle. What moves 3,600 people per hour, is completely silent, runs on renewable electricity, has a small infrastructure footprint, doesn’t clog streets and is just plain fun to ride? Not Uber, not a ferry and not your Vespa. Not a subway, bus rapid transit or hydrofoil either.
Hiro Aso 
The scenic north of England is a new focus for economic equity and improved quality of life—the “Northern Powerhouse” that includes cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull. Image © Andrew Hawkes.
For many years, London and the South East region of England have been the focus of many of the UK’s conversations around the economy. But, in the short time since the first mention of the “Northern Powerhouse” proposal, there’s been a tangible shift towards support for the core regions of the North (including the cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull).
Image © Gensler
This blog piece is based on a Q+A discussion held with Gensler designers Richard Jacob, Michaela Winter-Taylor and Kenneth Allan. It is the first in a series of blog posts that charts the teams’ research and findings as they delve deeper into the future of mobility.
Transportation and mobility are the lifeblood of our cities that form the very real and physical backbone of our increasingly digital economies, but they also come with a downside; noise, congestion, pollution and safety issues. In our pursuit for the holy grail of sustainable, clean, reliable, safe and affordable mobility, will the reality of what’s available ever match our dreams and aspirations?
Josh Vitulli 
Image courtesy of Wikimedia.
Driven by robust growth, New York’s Department of City Planning projected the city’s population to exceed 9 million by 2030. But, as we know, projections can be wrong, and those estimates are likely to be somewhat premature. As the population swells, so does the pressure put on the city to respond with infrastructure, transportation and housing.
Crain’s recently asked us how to minimize the impact of migration and population growth on current residents. Our response? We proposed building new land to upset urban land economics and repurposing underutilized infrastructure to increase connectivity and unlock an array of opportunities for residents.
Hiro Aso 
Image courtesy of Pedro Szekely.
On Friday, Aug. 19, London launches its first Night Tube service, which will provide night-time services to travellers on Friday and Saturday nights. With this highly anticipated addition to the city’s transportation network, London will finally be able to contend with Berlin, New York and Tokyo to call itself a 24-hour city.
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