The second session of the Our Urban Future series, co‑organized by the United Nations Environment Programme and the City Diplomacy Lab, brought together local governments, international partners, and practitioners to explore how digitalization can accelerate a transition toward low‑carbon and people‑centered mobility systems. Moderated by Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Director of the City Diplomacy Lab, the event highlighted both the urgency of the urban mobility challenge and the emerging solutions now being developed across Latin America.
In his opening remarks, the moderator underscored the scale of the issue. Transport is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions globally and continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels. Its impacts are also deeply social, with congestion, road crashes, and pollution shaping daily life in cities around the world. With passenger travel demand projected to more than triple by 2050, a shift toward active mobility, public transit, and climate‑resilient systems has become essential.
The lens for addressing these challenges is provided by the ACCESS program, a five‑and‑a‑half‑year initiative led by UNEP and seven partner organizations. Its objective is to deploy digital tools that can measure, guide, and strengthen low‑carbon mobility systems across Latin America.
Full Session Recording
The ACCESS Program: Framing the Digital Opportunity
Luis Felipe Quirama Londoño, ACCESS Program Coordinator at UNEP’s Latin America and the Caribbean Office, provided a comprehensive introduction to the initiative. He described how ACCESS was developed through close collaboration between national and city representatives, supported by workshops involving public and private stakeholders. He also outlined the program’s implementation timeline, its multi‑country reach, and its focus on both public transport and urban freight across Latin America.
At the core of ACCESS is the use of digitalization to equip cities with the ability to monitor progress toward climate commitments, evaluate transport energy use, and assess air quality outcomes through reliable data systems. The initiative also strengthens institutional capacity, expands cooperation with universities and local partners, and identifies investment instruments that can support the expansion of pilot projects. Through its regional component, ACCESS is designed to disseminate tools, research, and lessons to additional cities, enabling broader replication of effective approaches.
Digital Innovation Across ACCESS Cities
The first panel showcased how Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires are developing digital foundations that will allow them to scale sustainable mobility.
Mexico City: Data Integration for Operational Improvement
Arturo Sánchez Navarro, Adviser to the General Management at Metrobús, described how Mexico City is consolidating its digital systems to support day‑to‑day operations and long‑term planning. With one of the largest bus rapid transit networks in Latin America, the city relies on standardized operational data to guide scheduling, monitor vehicle movement, and support decisions on corridor management. These efforts create more predictable service patterns and lay the groundwork for broader sustainability initiatives.
Rio de Janeiro: Collaborative Innovation Through a Citywide Hub
Vitor Sá, Project Manager at the Operations and Resilience Center (COR) of Rio de Janeiro, presented the city’s approach to integrating data, experts, and institutions in one operational platform. The Center convenes specialists from mobility, climate risk, public safety, and infrastructure to monitor citywide challenges. The COR Challenge, its innovation program, invites universities, startups, and civil society partners to co‑develop solutions that are tested in real conditions. This model helps the city address pressing mobility and climate resilience needs while creating solutions that other municipalities can adopt.
Buenos Aires: Combining Electrification and Digital Monitoring
Pablo Acosta, Operational Manager of Information and Modeling for Urban Bus Transport, outlined Buenos Aires’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and the governing policies that guide this vision. The city has introduced a low‑emission bus procurement mandate, launched an electric minibus service in the historic center, and begun implementation of a high‑capacity electric corridor. Digital tools, including automated passenger counts and origin‑destination analysis, ensure that planning decisions reflect actual movement patterns. These measures support efficient resource allocation and strengthen the city’s capacity to expand electrified public transport.
From Pilots to System‑Level Change
The second panel focused on the policies, governance mechanisms, and financial structures that determine whether digital tools become fully embedded in urban mobility systems.
Digital Readiness and Institutional Capacity
Reina Otsuka, Global Lead for Digital for Nature and Climate at UNDP, presented the Digital Readiness Assessment that is being deployed within the ACCESS framework. The assessment evaluates government leadership, regulation, digital public infrastructure, connectivity, private sector capabilities, and digital literacy. By doing so, it helps cities identify gaps and design strategies that promote cohesive, whole‑of‑government digital transformation. It also facilitates coordination among stakeholders and supports the creation of enabling regulatory environments for innovative mobility solutions.
Strengthening Planning Through Governance and Data Access
María Rosa Muñoz, Senior Researcher at the Urban Living Lab Center of the Wuppertal Institute, emphasized the importance of governance frameworks that allow cities to use the large volumes of data already being generated. She pointed out that origin‑destination matrices, public transport monitoring systems, and digital fare collection data are powerful tools, but only when cities have clear agreements with operators, established data standards, and communication strategies that engage both service providers and users. Her examples from Buenos Aires and Quito illustrated how digitalization can reinforce avoid–shift–improve approaches and improve the implementation of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans.
Financing the Transition Through Transparent Data
Clarisse Cunha Linke, Executive Director of ITDP Brazil, explained how digitalization enables cities to demonstrate climate impact, improve transparency, and reduce uncertainty for investors. Emissions data, accessibility indicators, and performance dashboards create measurable baselines that financiers require to assess project viability. By linking these metrics to national climate strategies and equity outcomes, cities can strengthen the bankability of their mobility projects and mobilize both public and private capital. Digital monitoring, she noted, is becoming central to unlocking climate finance.
A Shared Vision for People‑Centered Mobility
Throughout the session, speakers reaffirmed a common message. Digitalization is not limited to technological upgrades. It strengthens governance, improves planning, and generates the evidence required to drive long‑term investment. ACCESS demonstrates that integrating data into early planning stages helps cities build scalable systems that advance climate and social goals.
The event concluded with a reflection on the power of multilevel and multistakeholder collaboration. City governments bring local knowledge and proximity to communities, while international organizations, researchers, and civil society contribute expertise that can accelerate implementation. Together, they are laying the foundation for cleaner, safer, and more equitable mobility.
The Our Urban Future series will continue with upcoming sessions on urban energy, food systems, climate finance, and biodiversity. Each session will expand on how cities can drive sustainable development through coordinated, data‑informed action.
Published on February 11, 2026. Last updated on March 5, 2026.