Given the significance of ‘mobility’ in terms of the urban dialogue, this year it is a key part of the Savills Tech Cities programme.

Our 30 cities are major global hubs and the challenge of getting around them safely and efficiently is an issue provoking debate, innovation and disruption, as communities across the world strive for smart transport solutions.

This year we assessed three elements in our Tech Cities mobility scoring. Firstly, the availability, density and investment of shared mobility services. This includes the amount of investment in, and the availability of, car, bike and scooter share schemes.

The second element was the scale and level of innovation in the city’s metro system. This is typically a city’s most popular method of transportation and we looked at the scale, ridership, cost and innovation of each system, where present, in each of our 30 cities.

The final element is the quality of urban infrastructure: this encompasses the number of cycle networks, a city’s ‘walkability’, congestion rates and, importantly, air pollution levels.

None of our tech cities perform consistently across all three of these elements: Chinese cities tend to be the best on shared mobility services, but then fall down on urban infrastructure. European cities tend to have relatively good urban infrastructure, but limited shared services and weaker metro systems. Overall, however, London is the best all-rounder, putting in a solid performance on all three factors which we assessed.

But as well as getting people around the city, it is also important to consider what an innovative, integrated approach to solving transport challenges tells us about a city’s broader approach and mentality.

Strong mobility and innovation around introducing new methods of transport suggests a  healthy dialogue between business and government, with both taking a forward-thinking, proactive approach to improving the city for all residents, suggesting that a city is a good location for an ambitious start-up.

But  more than this, good mobility within the city ecosystem opens up new locations, markets, fosters social mobility and leads to opportunity. When it’s poor, conversely, you will for the most part find segregation, exclusion and stagnation.

Progressive mobility approaches also bring crucial environmental, health and wellbeing benefits to a city’s residents and visitors, focused on low-polluting methods of transportation.  

Mobility can therefore tell us a lot more about a city than may initially be apparent: it can be an indicator of its wider culture and values, as well as its suitability as a business location.

Further information

Read more: Tech Cities