A new research project that aims to understand how to transform urban mobility in Phnom Penh. By urban mobility we mean movement through urban spaces as it impacts the quality of urban life, economic productivity, and access to important services such as education, health, and other resources.
The Center for Khmer Studies (CKS) is pleased to release an independent research project on urban mobility in Phnom Penh, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This first-of-its-kind research goes beyond the study of logistics and transportation infrastructure, instead putting at its core the needs and perceptions of local citizens and urban experts. The study aims to provide a comprehensive and systemic understanding of the myriad factors influencing urban mobility in Phnom Penh, the associated socio-economic costs, and possible actions to ensure more efficient mobility that can benefit all.
Methodologically, the report adopts a broad urban design perspective on which all considerations, economic and beyond, are based.
A core focus of this study is to understand the opportunity costs of not investing in specific measures that would allow for efficient and sustainable urban mobility. Similarly, possible impacts of efficient urban mobility on Cambodia’s economic growth are discussed. Phnom Penh is considered one of Cambodia’s main growth contributors and thus any impacts here would have an outsized effect on Cambodian economic growth.
The holistic approach that this report entails includes, among others, consideration of the use of road space (active lanes), sidewalk space (whether physically delimited or not), and the organization of activities taking place on urban surfaces dedicated to urban mobility. Together with consideration of derived economic and social costs, this allows for identifying systemic issues (chapter 10) and drafting possible outcomes and solutions according to insights found (chapters 11 and 12).
This research study was conducted by the Center for Khmer Studies (CKS) and funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
For more resources on Urban Studies, please visit our Cambodia Urban Database-a one-stop repository of resources on urban topics in Cambodia.
