Vienna, the capital of Austria, was ranked the world’s most livable city in 2024, a title it has held since 2018. Meanwhile, Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and its urban agglomeration are home to over 30 million people, making it one of the world’s largest megacities.
The city governments of Vienna and Jakarta have pursued efforts to create sustainable mobility for residents, yielding various results.
However, the newly established capital of Indonesia, Nusantara, is currently looking for examples, lessons, technologies, and knowledge related to developing and maintaining a sustainable forest city.
This theme was discussed during the panel session “Sustainable Urban Mobility: From Concept, Governance to Implementation” in Vienna, Austria, on Oct. 3–4, 2024, as part of the 70th anniversary of the Indonesia–Austria Partnership.
The discussion was opened by Damos D. Agusman, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Austria, Slovenia, and International Organizations in Vienna, who brought together academics and practitioners.
The event aimed to enhance knowledge, capacity, and partnerships to pursue sustainable urban transport practices further.
Agusman stated that developing Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, is a significant step toward sustainable urban living in Indonesia.
By prioritizing sustainable urban mobility, the city aims to reduce its carbon footprint, improve air quality, and enhance its residents’ overall quality of life.
“As Nusantara progresses from concept to implementation, it is hoped to serve as a living laboratory for innovative urban solutions and a blueprint for future cities worldwide. Despite the challenges every city faces, each has strong intentions and policies toward sustainability, including sustainable mobility,” Agusman explained in a press release sent to journalists on Thursday (Oct. 31).
Meanwhile, the Head of the UGM Center for Transportation and Logistics Studies (Pustral UGM), Dr. Ikaputra, who participated in a discussion session on Revisiting Sustainable Urban Mobility: A New Approach, mentioned that several issues emerged during the discussion, including sustainability in transportation and mobility in promoting the movement of goods and services.
The discussion also addressed the key challenges faced by global cities in promoting sustainable mobility, how to learn from past mistakes, and how to build better knowledge of sustainability.
“Especially concerning how technology can assist in achieving sustainability targets set by the global community while meeting local mobility needs,” he explained.
Another issue discussed, according to Dr. Ikaputra, was the role of academia in advocating for sustainable mobility.
Academic perspectives are often viewed as detached from current and practical issues, and they are insufficiently involved in finding direct and pragmatic solutions for urban mobility.
“Other critical issues include how to encourage governments and the private sector to enhance their capacity in managing the movement of goods and services in urban areas, as well as what is needed to perform better in efforts to improve urban mobility,” he added.
The speakers at the discussion included Professor A Min Tjoa, Chair of the Austrian National Competence Center for Security Research, Vienna University of Technology; Professor Hermann Knoflacher from the Institute of Transportation, Research Center of Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering, Vienna University of Technology; Professor Guenter Emberger, Head of Researcher Unit, Vienna University of Technology.
The other speakers were Professor Danang Parikesit, Professor of Engineering Economics and Transport Policy and Senior Researcher at Pustral UGM, Universitas Gadjah Mada; Professor Yusak O. Susilo, BMK Endowed Professorship in Digitalisation and Automation in Transport and Mobility Systems, The Institute for Transport Studies, BOKU University; and Dr. Ikaputra, Head of Pustral UGM, who served as the moderator.
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afif