The Sustainable Mobility Index describes the potential for travelling in an environmentally friendly and resource-saving manner. The index assesses this potential for each address in the study area, illustrated in the image using the example of Munich. For this purpose, the researchers introduced a rating scale ranging from 10 (lowest) to 100 (highest).
The NaMIx ("Sustainable Mobility Index") project was successfully completed. The main objective of NaMIx was to create a basis for the evaluation of locations and neighbourhoods with regard to sustainable mobility. The team developed an approach to collect relevant data on sustainable mobility and to standardise the various indicators (such as bicycle friendliness, travel time to the city centre, availability of supermarkets) and make them comparable. The result is a scientifically based index that expresses the potential for sustainable mobility in a location in a single figure.
Evaluation index based on open source data
The climate crisis urgently requires concrete measures to promote sustainable mobility and these changes must also take place at a local level. At the level of individual buildings and neighbourhoods, opportunities should be created to ensure sustainable mobility. This includes measures to avoid traffic, a shift to resource-saving modes of transport such as public transport and cycling, more efficient traffic management through alternative drives and intelligent control of the transport system, as well as better local supply and the promotion of home offices.
Unfortunately, there is often a lack of information to determine how sustainable mobility already is at a particular location and where there is a need for improvement. Information for deriving mobility potential is often scattered and the data structure is complex and difficult to communicate.
NaMIx is an important step towards promoting sustainable mobility at local level and combating the climate crisis. It enables municipalities, mobility providers, planners and companies as well as the general public to plan offers and measures to promote socially just and environmentally friendly mobility and is a valuable tool for mobility management.
In-depth knowledge
The Python-based tool for calculating the NaMIx has been published and is available on GitHub. Interested parties can download it here. The generated index values for the example region in Munich are available in the Mobilithek NaMIx. An article on Emmett describes how to use the index and how it was developed.
This pioneering project was realised as part of the mFUND innovation initiative (funding line 1) of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs and carried out in collaboration with the DLR Institute of Transport Research and Veomo Mobility GmbH.
