Toolbox
Analysis
Toolbox Themes
- Climate action
- Socio-spatial inclusion
- Sustainable Urban Mobility
Objectives
Using a variety of methods, interpret the data gathered to understand the city's current urban structure, and to identify its main features and relations with the territory and the surrounding settlements.
Results
Spatial and statistical analysis
Analysis report describing the findings and outcome of the analysis
Description
This activity comprises a comprehensive urban analysis at different scales (national, regional, local and city-wide), covering a variety of aspects related to environment, resilience, prosperity, social inclusion, etc. This activity focuses on investigating the causes of the challenges identified in previous activities, how they relate to each other and their impact on the population. The analysis should be aligned with the plan’s objective and the specific context. A key aspect for the plan development is the calculation of the projected population growth and the amount of land needed. Current worldwide trends of urbanisation show that there is a strong pressure on cities in developing contexts. Therefore, any plan must consider the estimated demographic growth of the next 15 years and the required land to accommodate it.
Spatial analysis can be conducted with a variety of methods and tools, both digital and analogical, depending on the capacities of the technical team and the advisory committee. Analysis could be structured considering different sectors and thematic of the built environment, e.g. public space, mobility, housing, environment etc. Starting from the base maps developed in the previous activities, the analysis can combine and integrate different data gathered through desk and field research. A set of spatial analysis maps are then generated to support the diagnosis and to start identifying the city's main challenges and opportunities.
Steps
- Review the data gathered and the base maps.
- Define the key analysis to conduct, considering the available information, the objective of the plan, and the main preliminarily identified challenges in the T14 Desk and Field Research - Maps and Data Checklist.
- Identify knowledge gaps at the local level and prepare training and capacity-building activities to perform before the analysis.
- Calculate the population projection and the amount of land needed (T19 Urban Expansion Projections).
- If relevant to the local context, analyse local vulnerability to natural and climate change-related hazards (T20 Vulnerability Assessment) - See Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Action box below.
- If possible, invite some stakeholders from the advisory committee to support the analysis
- Work iteratively at different scales considering a variety of topics.
- Compile the analysis into a series of spatial maps and write a brief description for each.
- Consolidate all findings and maps in an analysis report.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Action
At this point, the collected data can also be used to analyse and map city-specific vulnerability to hazard events, taking into account the exposure and sensitivity to environmental risks, as well as the response capacity that can help avert potential impacts.
The exposure to hazards should be considered revising the records on previous disasters. For climate-related hazards it is possible to use both existing and projected climate risks to identify the extent to which the expected population and different sectors will be affected. This can be done through a vulnerability analysis by initially responding to the following questions: How is the city exposed to different hazards? How is the city affected by climate change today and in the future? How sensitive are your city’s population, places and institutions to this exposure? Who is most vulnerable and least able to adapt? What sectors are most impacted?
Tool:
T20 Vulnerability Assessment
Additional resources:
Planning for Climate Change
Climate Change Vulnerability and Risk
Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities
Common Global Reporting Framework
Sustainable Urban Mobility
Collected data enables cities to pinpoint challenges in sustainable urban mobility by examining current mobility modes, barriers to access, and system performance. This analysis reveals critical gaps between the existing mobility landscape and the goals for low-carbon, efficient, and inclusive transport, guiding the design of targeted strategies to bridge these gaps.
Key considerations include identifying obstacles to low-carbon mobility adoption and understanding interactions between different mobility systems. Data on traffic flows, public transport usage, cycling infrastructure, and pedestrian networks helps uncover inefficiencies and improvement areas. Additionally, assessing data-driven solutions and smart mobility technologies supports optimization and emissions reduction. By comparing current performance metrics with long-term sustainability targets, cities can measure the gap between current and desired mobility outcomes, focusing on accessibility, barriers, and the effectiveness of current systems in advancing low-carbon goals.
Tool:
T25 Mobility and Transportation Problem Mapping
Additional resources:
Kisumu Sustainable Mobility Plan (Chapters 3 and 4)
El estado de la Movilidad Urbana Sostenible en Bolivia (Chapters 2 and 3)
Guidelines for Developing and Implementing a SUMP in Kosovo's cities (Chapter 3)