Life on the edge of the curb.

Which stakeholders face the most barriers?

While stakeholders are already thriving with digitisation on the curbside, others are struggling. Iskandar shared that there are some companies that “create dashboarding and connect all the data streams, but cities often don’t know how to handle it because they’ve been organised around the non-digital world.” Digital twins fall flat in cities that don’t yet have the capacity to dive into mobility data and insights, a setback that stifles the development of effective new policies for our curbsides.

One sector that’s particularly in need of help? Logistics. As Iskandar pointed out, “one out of three vehicles in a city is logistics related but there’s almost no city in Europe that knows how many vehicles are going into the city every day. We don’t have a clue as to how many vehicles are passing through, where and when they are standing still” to load and unload. Furthermore, whereas logistics is dominated by a few companies in North America, Europe has hundreds of smaller players, resulting in fragmented data. The Netherlands is working on national mobility data portals to centralise this data, but as Iskandar explained, “innovation in the governmental realm goes slowly” Until then, we’ll never know how to effectively manage logistics vehicles on our curbsides.

However, more important than vehicles are actual citizens. As Iskandar emphasised, “we often forget that a lot of people don’t have access to good mobility.” While data can identify areas of less accessibility to transportation (mobility poverty), people with reduced mobility, such as those with disabilities like wheelchairs, are still at risk of being left out. “One of the things that I find lacking at the curbside,” he noted, “is that it’s often so polluted with bicycles, scooters and cars that the city has become less livable for elderly and disabled people.” He urged governments to take a stance and push through changes, like Barcelona’s superblocks, which leaned on mobility data to not only reduce pollution by closing streets off to car traffic but also reduce the curb height itself to zero, making it much easier for people with reduced mobility to get around.

Put people first using qualitative data

The push to make cities less about vehicles and more about people was a central feature of Jane Jacobs’ seminal book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. “What’s timeless about her work,” explained Iskandar, “is that she talks about the curbside and the spontaneous interactions and incidents that happen there. That’s where the real value is, and it’s non-digital.” In other words, while the technology of her day was limited to vehicles, Jane Jacobs was ultimately preaching for flexible curbside management, and architects like Jan Gehl have followed in her footsteps. “Even though we’ve got all the possibilities of digital tools,” said Iskandar, “we should never forget that it’s about the people.” What about digital tools that can bring people together?

That’s where the quantitative data comes in. We already have quantitative data about mobility, but it must be complemented by data analyses of how residents and other stakeholders feel about their city. “Call me old fashioned,” remarked Iskandar, “but I truly believe that the best way is to really talk to people. Design engineering is mainly about understanding people and their needs. Co-creation with local businesses and local residents is the best way to do that because they know their streets best. They are like the sensors of the street.” His company works on projects in this capacity, and he’s also a fan of Citizen Dialog Kit (CDK), which install wireless, interactive screens on streets where individuals walking by can give their feedback.