Case Studies
Each year, ITDP conducts case studies of the Sustainable Transport Award Winners and Honorable Mentions to better understand the interventions and achievements that earned them recognition.
Tianjin, China (2024 Winner)
This STA Spotlight case study on the City of Tianjin, China, the 2024 Sustainable Transport Award (STA) winner, highlights the city’s collaborative efforts to expand non-motorized transport and street infrastructure to dramatically improve walking, cycling, and public transit connections. As one of the country’s most populated cities, Tianjin is home to more than 13 million people and urgently needed to reshape its mobility systems to lower emissions, improve air quality, reduce congestion, and enhance well-being. Thus, the city’s significant investments into sustainable mobility infrastructure over the past few years has now made it a model for governments across China.
Paris, France (2023 Winner)
This case study report on the City of Paris, France, the 2023 Sustainable Transport Award (STA) winner, dives into the bold policies and actions the city took to redesign its streets, spurring a modal shift in urban transport to encourage more cycling and walking. Adjusting to the surge in active mobility triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021-2022 Paris place an immense focus on activating low-cost, high-impact transport interventions to achieve to reduce emissions, improve air quality, and manage vehicle traffic. The city also worked to ensure its cycling and walking interventions were made equitable for women, children, and people with disabilities.
Bhubaneswar, India (2023 Honorable Mention)
This case study of Bhubaneswar and its transport agency can help inspire global cities, policymakers, and planners to rethink their transport systems, emphasizing sustainability, connectivity, inclusion, and workforce development. It also provides useful technical information and high-level lessons from Bhubaneswar’s mobility experiments to help others develop more tangible, forward-thinking transport solutions.
Bogotá, Colombia (2022 Winner)
This report is useful for urban planners, decision-makers, and advocates hoping to learn how Bogotá’s vision for equitable and sustainable urban mobility carried on through different political administrations and global crises. In particular, the case study examines how Bogotá ensured that its transport systems could recover from disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, while also building future resilience in anticipation of evolving climate and health challenges.
Peshawar, Pakistan (2022 Honorable Mention)
Since 2020, Zu Peshawar, the first Gold Standard BRT on the Indian Peninsula, has been moving over 250,000 passengers daily, providing access to the city for women, persons with disabilities and the youth. This case study, co-developed with TUMI and TransPeshwar, discusses the efforts of inclusive transport planning guided by strong leadership and policies, resulting in the city’s shift towards sustainable mobility.
Tartu, Estonia (2022 Honorable Mention)
Since 2012, the City of Tartu, Estonia has been implementing programs, infrastructure, and policy that transformed the city into a model for sustainable, accessible mobility based on data, feedback from residents, and ambitious climate goals. This case study, co-developed with TUMI and the City of Tartu, shows lessons learned from the approaches that the city utilized, turning setbacks of 2020 and 2021 into opportunities bolstering the city’s resilience and identity.