Cities and companies across the world are using data to understand the impact of their sustainability initiatives as ESG goals are taking a core priority. Climate-related analysis measured by carbon emissions, extreme weather events, or changes in temperature are hard to quantify on a hyperlocal level and in real-time. This gap in available data can make it challenging to understand the efficacy of local initiatives and maintain momentum to invest more in bold action designed to help meet national, climate goals.
Hyperlocal data that helps you understand which initiatives are effective in getting more residents to ditch their cars and use alternative modes of transportation is critical to measuring efficacy and using data to inform future investments. Here are four examples of how our clients use newly available data, unlocked by Fyma’s technology, to advance their sustainability agenda.
- Shifting away from single-occupancy vehicles. Tracking the share of single-occupancy vehicles versus bicycles and pedestrians can help transportation agencies and commercial real estate developers make data-informed decisions that improve access for cyclists and promote more shared mobility uptake via public transit. The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) used Fyma to capture data from over 30 cameras during an 8-month study period to develop a baseline for the share of vehicles, bicycles, and public buses that travel by the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The data showed that the Here East area was at peak traffic capacity, with cars dominating the urban landscape at 97% of all road surface area. Additionally, the modal share between cars and buses showed significant underrepresentation of buses, which validated LLDC’s assumptions about the availability of car alternatives in this area. With this invaluable data in hand, LLDC can now advocate that more public transport links are needed to relieve the number of cars and as a result reduce emissions as well as increase safety in the area.
- Studying the impact of car-free streets. Beginning in the summer of 2020, the Estonian city of Tartu decided to close one of its busiest streets for a full month to test out pedestrian behavior and the impact of the closure on other streets with the hopes of repeating this initiative (and even scaling it) every summer. Tartu relied heavily on data to understand the impact of this urban intervention on the 8,000 square meters of its new Vabaduse (Freedom) Avenue. The city used Fyma to develop a baseline measurement, in order to understand the effects before, after, and during, on traffic and pedestrian flows outside Vabaduse Avenue. Additionally, Fyma helped the city understand how this urban intervention affected nearby shops and businesses that were now more easily accessible to tourists and residents showing that thanks to the project which invited significant footfall to the area (the equivalent of the entire city’s population passed through the area in a 2-week period) the feared financial effects of Covid were negligible.
- Reducing congestion and idling. Fyma’s algorithms look at where cars have historically parked and map out a car park based on this parking behavior, eliminating the need to manually configure thousands of spaces on a map or install sensors. Additionally, each parking bay has a GeoJson attached to it, meaning it is possible to navigate not just to the car park, but to the nearest available parking bay in that car park that fits the driver’s requirements (disability, EV charging station). In Ülemiste Technopolis, a buzzing tech and hospitality hub in the heart of the Estonian city of Tallinn, data is displayed in real-time across the campus’ wayfinding system as well as online. This data has greatly reduced the amount of time cars look for an available space and idle around the car parks. In fact, drivers in the Technopolis car park saved an average of 10 minutes per day which translates to around 2.2 metric tonnes of Co2 per month.
- Measuring uptake in micromobility Multiple clients who manage multi-use campuses, parks, or hubs have adopted Fyma to conduct pre and post evaluations of introducing interventions like allowing e-scooters or installing new bike stations. For example, LLDC hired a cycling project manager to work with data generated by Fyma to regularly monitor and improve accessibility for cyclists. Additionally, the construction partners for LLDC, are using Fyma’s micromobility insights to design and plan for the new cycling infrastructure around the park taking into account real-time and longitudinal data on modal share and volume.
There are so many ways in which Fyma can work for you in not just understanding what is going on in your estate now, but also provide insights and action points on how to improve your campus or business district with the specific strategic goals you have in mind. We will truly help you achieve your ESG goals, provide insights and analytics and placemaking teams to be at your disposal, so you don’t have to muddle through the data, but already get insights and value for your business.
Give us a shout and let’s have a chat on how to work together.
