World Design Talks Mobility in Toluca

The World Design Organization (WDO)^TM held its third World Design Talks in Toluca, Mexico on Friday 24 February 2017 to examine strategies for increased urban mobility in metropolitan cities, specifically looking at mobility issues in the City of Toluca, Mexico.

Hosted by the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM), and co-organized by Dr. Martha Zarza, Professor of Industrial Design, and WDO Regional Advisor, Jorge Abrams, Director General of Winn Innovation, the day-long World Design Talks was held at the Marriott Ixtapan de la Sal, and featured guest speakers Javier Verdura, Director of Product Design for Tesla Motors, Leiza Fernandez, Director of Innovation for the State of Hidalgo, and Srini Srinivasan, WDO Board Member.

Over 300 participants—including local academics, industrial designers, designers, consultants, and design students— attended the keynote speech given by Mr. Verdura, and over 80 delegates participated in the afternoon workshop. Noted guests included Alfredo Martinez Gonzales, Representative of the State of Mexico, Jorge Olvera García, Dean of the UAEM, Marco Antonio Luna Pichardo, Head of the School of Architecture and Design at the UAEM, and World Design Capital 2018 representatives from Mexico City, Carla Sofia Elizundia and Jaime Hernandez.

Mugendi M’Rithaa, WDO President, opened the event with the support of WDO board members representing six different regions of the world. Recognizing the large contingent of young designers in the standing room only audience, he encouraged them by stating that, “Tomorrow belongs to those who plan today.”

As this was the first time the WDO held an event in Mexico, Dean Jorge Olvera García noted that he was, “Very honoured to be part of an event unique not only in Mexico, but Latin America, and the world.” He also commented that, “We have to find similarities and commonalities in order to work together.”

Javier Verdura’s talk was the highlight for many young designers in attendance. His message about designing for a more sustainable world was clear. “We cannot sit back. We have to keep working so that we don’t fall prey to history.” Echoing the words of Tesla founder Elon Musk, he said, “We’re not going to stop until the mission is completed. We have to take barriers away about the notion of electric cars. We cannot have barriers for people to make the world a better place.”

Initiated by the Board of Directors in January 2016, the World Design Talks aims to address local issues with global impact. The issue of mobility was also examined by the design communities in the megalopolises of Istanbul, Turkey, and Shanghai in 2016, to address the following United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: #9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, and #13 Climate Action.

Strategies towards urban mobility in metropolitan cities
A Mexican case study

In less than thirty years, the population residing in the metropolitan areas of central Mexico has increased by 30%. Beyond mere numbers, these regions are gradually morphing into a megalopolis as citizens commute from satellite areas to the Capital for work. In the case of Toluca, a city separated from Mexico City by a mere 57 kilometers, urban mobility issues are burgeoning.

Some of the challenges related to mobilization in Toluca include:

• Severe road conflicts due to an inefficient infrastructure;
• Urban mobility largely defined by private transport;
• Lack of a structured and efficient public transport system;
• High levels of air pollution;
• A gradual decrease of green areas with environmental value;
• Inaccessibility for people with different needs; and
• A poor culture for sharing urban spaces.

The World Design Talks in Toluca, Mexico, aimed to raise awareness about these issues, and to inspire participants for creative and innovative solutions. In particular, they focused on the following themes:

1. Non-motorized solutions: accessibility for all; innovative narratives for emotional connections.
2. Intelligent systems in urban mobility: innovative business models; safety issues.

Design Driven Thinking

In small groups during the afternoon World Design Talks workshop sessions, participants identified concrete problems related to mobility in Mexico, and explored possible solutions by applying a design thinking methodology.

1. Echoing the previous World Design Talks in Istanbul and Shanghai, the need for more interdisciplinary collaboration to improve the ecosystem of transportation from a multi-stakeholder perspective was deemed necessary to improve public transportation offerings. Participants explored the possibility of enhancing public-private partnerships through the use of tax incentives.

2. The use of big data and digital apps was also explored. It was thought that the use of apps could be a powerful tool to encourage behaviour change with the general public, by making people less dependent on private cars and rewarding the use of public transit through ratings systems and gamification.

Speakers

What’s Next? What You Can Do

The knowledge gathered from the World Design Talks will be shared online to further build upon and strengthen the design-led initiatives identified during the World Design Talks.

We are looking to the wider design community and other likeminded organizations concerned with this issue to help us tackle the issue of mobility and traffic congestion on the World Design Organization LinkedIn Group. We welcome your research, experience, insights and ideas.

Step 1
Join the World Design Organization group on LinkedIn.

Step 2
Contribute to the discussion online; comment on posted articles, or share your experiences and expertise through a post.

Step 3
Share this story.

Step 4
Participate in a World Design Talks near you.

Worth Browsing

Here are some helpful links and papers to prepare you for our discussions at the World Design Talks in Toluca.

CDMX Ranks No. 1 for Traffic Congestion
Traffic Congestion Solutions for Mexico City from IBM  (video)
The Importance of Public Transportation in Latin America (PDF download)
Does Building Better Cars Build “Better” Traffic Congestion?
Cycling Gains Grounds on Latin American Streets
Reforming the Idea of Movement in Tijuana: Patience and Grace

Acknowledgements

World Design Talks is grateful for the support of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM) for hosting the World Design Organization in Mexico. We also acknowledge and appreciate the expertise shared by our featured guest speakers Javier Verdura, Director of Product Design for Tesla Motors, Leiza Fernandez, Director of Innovation for the State of Hidalgo, and Srini Srinivasan, WDO Treasurer and Board Member. Thanks to the Marriott Ixtapan de la Sal, for welcoming over 300 participants to the event. Special thanks to WDO Regional Advisor Jorge Abrams, Director General of Winn Innovation, and Dr. Martha Zarza, Professor of Industrial Design for co-organizing the event, with assistance from Roxanna de la Fuente.