Making Urban Planning and Mobility Work - A Smarter Path For Cities

By Joerg Hildebrandt, Arturs Smilkstins, and Richard Sargeant 

Urban planning and mobility are central to how cities function - affecting economic activity, air quality, public safety, and citizen well-being. But across regions, systems are under strain: 

• More than 130 hours lost per driver per year in the most congested cities 

• 1.3 million deaths annually from road traffic accidents 

• Over 90% of urban populations exposed to harmful emissions 

These figures point to a clear need for better urban mobility planning and execution, not only to ease congestion but to drive towards a sustainable future of mobility. As urban populations rise and infrastructure demands grow, cities need new ways to plan, prioritize, and deliver mobility solutions at scale. 

In our recent work, BCG offers a practical mobility framework for public sector leaders. It outlines how cities can move from fragmented, one-off interventions to cohesive, system-level strategies, powered by data modeling and integrated governance. With the right tools, cities can move from reactive planning to a clear roadmap for transformation that reflects local needs and long-term ambition. At the core is City Flow, an AI-powered digital twin developed by BCG X. It allows government teams to simulate the effects of policy, infrastructure, and investment decisions before implementing them. City Flow models how changes will affect: 

• Travel times

• Emissions

• Cost efficiency

• Safety

• Accessibility for all demographic groups

For example, a city can test the combined impact of congestion pricing, rerouted buses, and redesigned intersections, all tailored to local data. Using City Flow to reassess an infrastructure pipeline, we recently helped a client save more than $1 billion in investment while reducing travel times by over 35% in the affected areas. 

 Shaping long-term strategies in major urban centers - in Paris, we helped city leaders develop a new mobility strategy with the goal of reinventing mobility in the city by 2030. In Tongzhou, we created a ten-point action plan designed to create a smart city that deploys shared mobility, autonomous mobility, and mobility as a service. And in Boston, we partnered with the World Economic Forum and municipal leaders to assess Boston’s mobility status and conduct simulations using autonomous mobility. 

 Unlike static planning tools, City Flow is built to address real-world challenges faced by governments: limited resources, complex stakeholder landscapes, and the demand for measurable impact. It enables officials to start small and move fast, generating quick wins that build momentum and unlock public support for larger shifts. 

 Why this matters for the public sector: 

1. Faster, evidence-based decisions - Policy trade-offs can be modelled and tested before resources are committed. 

2. Improved cross-agency alignment - Transport, planning, and environment teams can coordinate through a shared platform. 

3. Clearer accountability for outcomes - Cities can link interventions directly to results - in emissions, safety, or access. 

 At its core, this approach is about improving outcomes that matter to the public: cleaner air, safer streets, better access to services, and more efficient use of public resources. Mobility reform isn't just about moving more vehicles or deploying new tech, it’s about enabling healthier, more inclusive cities where everyone can move and thrive. Governments face real constraints, but they also have clearer tools than before to navigate complex trade-offs and make better-informed infrastructure and policy choices. 

As cities scale up their mobility ambitions, the combination of practical frameworks and data-driven modelling can help translate intent into results with more transparency, speed, and impact.