Urban Transport in the OIC Megacities
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door to door services are also important tools that can reduce the levels of economic and geographical
exclusion of people with disabilities (World Bank, 2004).
In terms of vehicle and infrastructure access, the private sector may not have sufficient incentives to
implement provisions for people with disabilities. In most cases, applying Western disability
standards and facilities to deliver access solutions and ensure universal access in transport systems
is not affordable or realistic for the provider or for the users in low income countries. Nonetheless, it
is not sufficient to ensure that everyone can enter and use basic transport services. It is equally
important to apply the principles of access for all to the street environment and to the design of the
buildings and other facilities that people use. In many situations low cost improvements such as
pavement and footway maintenance, kerb insets at street corners, ramps to public buildings, and
larger letters on bus destination signs can bring disproportionate benefits. Most interesting are those
interventions which bring benefits to all passengers, creating a win-win opportunity (World Bank,
2004; Venter et al, 2002).
In terms of ageing population, the evidence coming from the developing world is even more limited.
Worldwide the proportion of the population of people over the age of 60s growing faster than any
other age group and it is expected that by 2050 there will be 20 billion people aged over 60, with 80%
of them living in developing countries. In terms of regions, over half of the world’s population above
60 lives in Asia, a share that will continue to increase. On the other hand, Europe’s share as a
proportion of global population over 60 will decrease the most until 2025 (WHO, 2002).
Compared to the developed world, socioeconomic development in developing countries has often not
kept pace with the rapid speed of population ageing. For example, while it took France 115 years for
the proportion of people above the age of 60 to increase from 7% to 14%, it will take China only 27
years to achieve the same increase. Gradual population ageing for the developed world meant that
countries grew affluent before they became old, while rapid ageing for the developing world means
that these countries will grow old before they accumulate substantial wealth. Rapid ageing in
developing economies is accompanied by dramatic changes in structures and roles as well as labour
patterns and migration. Urbanisation, smaller families and more women entering the formal labour
force mean that fewer people will be available to take care of older people when they need assistance
(WHO, 2002).
Official planning for the ageing population is usually absent. Older people’s mobility is usually
restricted and they rely heavily on their families for help. However, it should be noted that the social
solidarity levels in developing worldmegacities are often higher than in their developed counterparts.
Despite the fact that family structures are gradually changing, caring for the elderly is deeply
embedded in the cultures and the traditions of many developing countries. Similarly, social solidarity
is stronger between neighbours and friends. This does not mean that planning for the mobility of the
elderly should be ignored because the society can cater for them. On the contrary, planning authorities
can take advantage of these pre-existing social structures to improve the accessibility for socially
excluded groups, through ridesharing, or task sharing programmes. Such initiatives have been proven
successful in rural areas in the UK, organized or supported by local authorities.
3.12. Human Dimension of Cities
3.12.1. Introduction
There are direct connections between improvements for people in the city space and visions for
achieving lively, safe sustainable and healthy cities. According to the architect Luis Kahn, the street is
one of the city’s first institutions and a room where people live, learn, shop, and work. The street is a
powerful symbol of the public realm and provides opportunities for social interaction that no other
public space can. Streets as public spaces and their contribution to urban prosperity were recognised
by the United Nations with the Cities Prosperity Initiative which was established in 2012. The Cities
Prosperity Initiative is a strategic policy initiative for cities that are committed to adopting a more