Canadian urban mobility woefully lacking, but building a better future still possible, say authors

Public transit investment not keeping up with urban population growth

Canadian cities are falling behind globally when it comes to efficiently moving people, according to a new book that explores how technology and climate change continue to shape urban mobility.

Mobility is an essential public good, the authors say, and modern policies aim to move people in a safe, efficient, accessible and non-polluting way. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and worsened existing vulnerabilities in Canada’s urban mobility systems, undermining progress toward these goals, write Betsy Donald, Professor, Department of Geography and Planning, Queen’s University and Shauna Brail, Associate Professor, Institute for Management & Innovation, University of Toronto.