In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly declared the first-ever UN Decade of Sustainable Transport, starting in 2026. This Decade marks a rare political moment in which transport is explicitly recognised as a critical enabler of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While transport does not have its own standalone SDG, it underpins progress on climate action, health, economic development, food security, resilient infrastructure, and social inclusion.
The Decade (2026–2035) is intended to elevate sustainable mobility on the global policy agenda and mobilise new coalitions, funding streams, and practical solutions. Member States have asked the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs to develop a global, non-binding Implementation Plan, in collaboration with UN Regional Commissions and stakeholders. This plan will serve as a strategic framework to coordinate action, mobilise resources, and improve monitoring of transport’s contribution to the SDGs, while leaving room for tailored regional, national, and local approaches.
For urban planners, this matters because cities are where the SDG impacts of transport are most visible—and most contested. The Implementation Plan is expected to provide global visibility for sustainable urban mobility, strengthen capacity building, and encourage governments to move beyond fragmented projects toward coherent, people-centred transport strategies.
A particularly influential contribution to this debate comes from the World Bank. Sam Johnson, Sustainable Transport Specialist at the World Bank, argues that the UN Decade should function as a “permission slip” for governments to rebalance transport investment. In a recent briefing and keynote at the POLIS Conference, he called for national and subnational authorities to commit to investing up to 10% of road budgets in active mobility by 2035.
Johnson proposes the creation of dedicated Livable Streets Investment Programmes: structured funding mechanisms to co-finance local projects that prioritise walking, cycling, public transport access, safety, and inclusive public space. This proposal responds to a long-standing imbalance in public spending. While trillions are invested globally in road infrastructure, many European countries still spend less than €10 per capita annually on active mobility.
Livable Streets programmes would support a wide range of interventions, from strategic network planning and design studies to temporary “Open Streets” events, school streets, and the construction of sidewalks and protected cycle lanes. Crucially, funding would ramp up gradually over the Decade, allowing institutions and practitioners to build capacity and political support.
The underlying message is clear: business-as-usual road investment will not deliver the healthy, resilient, and equitable cities societies are asking for. Mobility is not only about efficiency and speed, but also about safety, comfort, social interaction, and well-being. For urban planners, the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport offers both political momentum and a practical framework to reorient transport systems toward people-first streets and to embed livability at the heart of urban development for the decade ahead.