Event Recording – Day 1

Event Recording – Day 2

DigitalTransport4Africa is a collaborative digital commons and global network that works to scale up and support urban mobility projects through open standardized data, open-source software and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. It provides support for government, tech companies and civil society actors to map city transit networks and foster ecosystems and skills that enable cities to leverage data for critical transport improvements.

The cooperative initiative, funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and led by WRI, is now scaling up efforts in data collection, mapping, analysis and capacity building with the aim of reaching 10-15 additional cities across Africa. The platform is also moving beyond mapping just data on public transport in cities, but seeks to inform planning, creation of tools, and meaningful research on actions to improve sustainable mobility. The COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened the need for resilient mobility systems that meet the needs of the underserved and vulnerable. The partnerships possible by leveraging open data can create a regional movement for better transportation across Africa.

We aim to strengthen local data ecosystems and city capacities to utilize standardized data for improved planning and implementation of sustainable, accessible mobility – particularly among informal and paratransit systems. We also aim to help cities and countries measure progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, as SDG 11.2 calls for “safe, affordable, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all” and parallels other global targets to reduce air pollution and decarbonize the transport sector.

We hope you can join us on July 1 and 2 to learn more about how to collaborate using the #DigitalTransport4Africa platform.

  1. City leader? Learn how to leverage the power of open transit data to inform policy and find new solutions.
  2. Researcher? Share your mapping and digitizing efforts with new audiences and learn what others are doing.
  3. Innovator? Discover new users and applications for your ideas and share your experiences with others.

Agenda: Day 1

9:00 – 9:20 AM

Opening Remarks: DigitalTransport4Africa Introduction + Announcement

  • Aklilu Fikresilassie, Director, Thriving Resilient Cities, WRI Africa
  • Antoine Chevre, Project Manager, AFD
  • Iman Abubaker, Urban Mobility Project Manager, WRI Africa

9:20 – 9:30 AM

Speaker 1: Overview of Public Transport Challenges in Africa

  • Fátima Arroyo, Senior Urban Transport Specialist, World Bank

9:30 – 9:40 AM

Speaker 2: Impact of COVID-19 on Public Transport in African Cities

  • Fredric Tesfaye, Project Manager, TUMI

9:40 – 9:50 AM

Speaker 3: If Information Is Infrastructure, Do You Have a Plan?

  • Benjamin de la Peña, CEO, Shared-Use Mobility Center; Chair, Global Partnership for Informal Transportation

9:50 – 10:00 AM

Speaker 4: The Case of Freetown Public Transport Improvements

  • Hindolo Shiaka, Director, Ministry of Transport and Aviation, Sierra Leone

10:00 – 10:30 AM

Audience Q&A

  • Moderator: Jacqueline Klopp, Research Scholar & Co-Director, Center for Sustainable Urban Development, Climate School, Columbia University

10:30 – 10:45 AM

Concluding Remarks

  • Antoine Chevre, Project Manager, AFD
  • Benjamin Welle, Acting Director, Urban Mobility, and Director, Integrated Transport & Innovation, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

Agenda: Day 2

9:00 – 9:05 AM

Reception/Welcome/Recap

  • Iman Abubaker, Urban Mobility Project Manager, WRI Africa

 

9:05 – 9:25 AM

Session 1: Mapping Your City: The Right Tools for the Job & What’s New

Pecha Kucha

  • Abdelrahman Melegy, GIS Project Manager, Transport for Cairo
  • Enock Nyamador, OSM Contributor, OpenStreetMap Ghana
  • Rafael Pereira, Researcher, IPEA Brazil

 

9:25 – 9:35 AM

Session 1 Q&A

  • Moderator: Agraw Ali, GIS Research Analyst, WRI Africa

 

9:35 – 9:55 AM

Session 2: There’s an App for That!

Pecha Kucha

  • Bertrand Biloud, VP communication, Kisio Digital
  • Christoph Hanser, President, Trufi Association
  • Ahmed Elleithy, VP Strategy, Planning, & Commercial, Mwasalat Misir

 

9:55 – 10:05 AM

Session 2 Q&A 

  • Anna Oursler, Urban Mobility Coordinator, Consultant, WRI Africa

10:05 – 10:15 AM

BREAK

10:15 – 10:35 AM

Session 3: Big Data Incoming

Pecha Kucha

  • Philip Krauser, Project Lead, GoAscendal
  • George Kibala Bauer, Senior Insights and Advocacy Manager, Digital Utilities, GSMA

 

10:35 – 10:45 AM

Session 3 Q&A

  • Moderator: Gashaw Aberra, Country Manager, ITDP Ethiopia

10:45 – 11:05 AM

Session 4: Unlocking the Power of Transit Data for Sustainable and Inclusive Mobility Systems in Africa

  • Carly Koinange, Team Leader - Active Mobility, Digitalisation and Mode Integration, UNEP
  • Fatoumata Diallo, Doctoral researcher, SciencesPo Paris
  • Charlene Kouassi, Director, African Mobilities Observatory 

 

11:05 – 11:15 AM

Session 4 Q&A 

  • Moderator: Gashaw Aberra, ITDP Africa

11:15 – 11:30 AM

Closing Remarks

  • Antoine Chevre, Project Manager, AFD
  • Benjamin Welle, Acting Director, Urban Mobility, and Director, Integrated Transport & Innovation, WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities