Mobility Resilience Key to Oliver Wyman Forum City Rankings

• Singapore remains number one but European cities dominate the top ten
• New index identifies which cities are best prepared for urban mobility post-COVID

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Singapore, London, Stockholm, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam are the top ranked cities in the 2020 Urban Mobility Readiness Index. They earned these ratings because of their infrastructure, innovation, and focus on preparedness, according to research by the Oliver Wyman Forum.

The research conducted with The Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley analyzes cities across 56 metrics, including regulation, infrastructure, social impact, and the ability to adapt future technologies. This year’s index added 20 cities, bringing the total to 50.

“Many cities around the world were at a tipping point, even before COVID and while we won’t know the true impact on cities yet, the cities that ranked high are in a better position to meet future challenges,” said Guillaume Thibault, an Oliver Wyman partner and one of the creators of the index.

European Cities Dominate

Half of the top ten cities -- Amsterdam, London, Helsinki, Berlin and Paris -- are in Europe. Most rely on mass transit, are easily walkable, and prioritize clean mobility as well as safety. They also work with local academic institutions and are well-connected regionally and internationally with dense air and rail networks

“European cities have a great balance across all the dimensions of the index with the top cities scoring high across most of the categories,” said Professor Alexandre Bayen, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. “These cities have a richer portfolio of mobility options and infrastructure systems making them more resilient in the face of crisis.”

Singapore Remains Number One

Singapore remains number one partly because of its focus on forward looking traffic management, which includes road user charges with adaptive pricing, the first automated rail system as well as roadways that accommodate self-driving vehicles. With six major airports, number two ranked London, leads in international connectivity. The city also has a wealth of leading universities which allows for innovation to flourish.

Number seven, Helsinki is noted for its superior air quality and a high market share of electric vehicles. It also has a comprehensive transportation network featuring affordability, density as well as access to Finland’s rail network.

Berlin (number eight) is noted for its resilience. The impact of its risk preparedness and service continuity was evident early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The city has also embraced diverse, connected modes of public transit — from the U-Bahn to the ferry — as well as an integrated app which allows for multimodal route planning and ticketing across public and private operators.

The index launched at a virtual event titled “The Future of Urban Mobility” on September 29^th and 30^th, which included a keynote by Eleni Kounalakis, 50th Lieutenant Governor of California. The event featured discussions among global leaders from industry, technology, academia, finance, and non-governmental organizations on ways to address the complex challenges posed by the global mobility revolution. Several upcoming Global Mobility Executive Forums are also planned. For additional details, please click here.

About Berkeley ITS

The Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California Berkeley was created in 1947 by the State of California to support research efforts related to future mobility. It is an organized research unit on campus, comprising seven research centers, a start-up accelerator program, a technology transfer program, a library and testing facilities for automated vehicles. It employs over 200 faculty, researchers and technical staff, focused around verticals of mobility, which include digitalization, automation, electrification, the shared economy, policy, planning and finance.

About the Oliver Wyman Forum

The Oliver Wyman Forum is committed to bringing together leaders in business, public policy, social enterprises, and academia to help solve the world’s toughest problems. The Oliver Wyman Forum strives to discover and develop innovative solutions by conducting research, convening leading thinkers, analyzing options, and inspiring action on three fronts: Reframing Industry, Business in Society, and Global Economic and Political Change. Together with our growing and diverse community of experts, we think we can make a difference. For more information, visit www.oliverwymanforum.com

About Oliver Wyman

Oliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting. With offices in 60 cities across 29 countries, Oliver Wyman combines deep industry knowledge with specialized expertise in strategy, operations, risk management, and organization transformation. The firm has more than 5,000 professionals around the world who work with clients to optimize their business, improve their operations and risk profile, and accelerate their organizational performance to seize the most attractive opportunities. Oliver Wyman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies [NYSE: MMC]. For more information, visit www.oliverwyman.com. Follow Oliver Wyman on Twitter @OliverWyman.