Sustainable Urban Mobility Intern

Position description

Duties and Responsibilities Org. Setting and Reporting

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. UN-Habitat is the focal point for all urbanization and human settlement matters within the UN system.

UN-Habitat works with partners to build inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities. UN-Habitat promotes urbanization as a positive transformative force for people and communities, reducing inequality, discrimination and poverty.

Urban environments continue to grow at unprecedented rates. Two-thirds of the global population, or six billion people, will live in cities by 2050. While they are economic powerhouses and present unprecedented social, economic, cultural and educational opportunities, unsustainable urban development puts enormous pressure on the provision of basic services to citizens, especially mobility, sanitation, water, solid waste management and energy.

UN-Habitat, as a custodian of the 9urban9 Sustainable Development Goal 11, is mandated to contribute to the creation of sustainable and inclusive human settlements, striving for better quality of life for all in an urbanizing world. Within this ambitious mission, UN-Habitat9s Urban Basic Services Section focuses on the provision of essential services to urban residents, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable groups who are at risk of being left behind 9 children, women, the elderly, indigenous groups, people with disabilities and the urban poor.

UN-HABITAT9S WORK ON URBAN MOBILITY

Within UN-Habitat9s Urban Basic Services Section, the Urban Mobility team works on diverse projects striving towards achieving sustainable mobility in urban environments. This is especially relevant in a rapidly urbanising world, where the response to increased demand for access to economic opportunities and vital services is often car-based urban development, tailored to and encouraging private car ownership, and a rapid increase in the global two- and three-wheeler fleet.

The impacts of this approach are concerning: transport-based emissions make up a quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions, traffic-related accidents are the leading cause of mortality among young people, and congestion results in a significant loss of national and local GDPs.

There is thus an urgent need for a shift towards sustainable, accessible and efficient mobility in cities. The urban mobility team works towards this aim. Its broad portfolio includes support on a wide range of topics such as Active Mobility, Road Safety, E-Mobility, Public Transport and Transit-Oriented Development.

The team also supports building the capacity of local and national authorities to stimulate sustainable urban mobility, and, through its projects around the globe, significantly contributes to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals in line with the New Urban Agenda, with a focus on leaving no-one behind. This knowledge and good practices are promoted at a local, national, regional and international scale through workshops, conferences and public outreach events.

In particular, UN-Habitat recognizes road safety as a critical component of sustainable urban mobility. The Urban Mobility team collaborates with local governments, partners, and communities to design and implement interventions that reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, especially among vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and children.

Through evidence-based policy advice, capacity building, and demonstration projects, UN-Habitat promotes safe infrastructure, inclusive street design, and integrated mobility planning. A key initiative in this area is the Global Alliance of Cities for Road Safety (ACRoS), which brings together cities worldwide to share knowledge, foster innovation, and scale up effective road safety solutions.

These efforts not only save lives but also foster healthier, more equitable, and resilient cities, directly supporting the achievement of global road safety targets and the Sustainable Development Goals.

In Tanzania, UN-Habitat supports the Port of Tanzania- Trade and Transport Improvement Project, funded by the EU, intending to address both physical and non-physical barriers to trade, that have so far hampered intra-African trade and integration, and increase the efficiency of transport systems on corridors and of their management.

The project is built around three pillars: Port Performance, trade facilitation and Electric Mobility. In Latin America, UN-Habitat is part of implementing the ACCESS project (Accelerating Access to Low Carbon Urban Mobility Solutions through Digitalization) with a strong focus on capacity building and local level piloting.

Under the framework of the Pan African Action Plan for Active Mobility, UN-Habitat support various African countries in the development of better policies and investment proposals for walking and cycling. The intern is expected to contribute to all these ongoing initiatives.

The Intern will report to Programme Management Officer, Urban Mobility Urban Basic Services Section.

Responsibilities

This internship is based in the Urban Mobility team, where the candidate will contribute to impactful projects shaping the future of sustainable cities. Key responsibilities include:

• Assisting in implementing initiatives and collaborate with technical experts to pilot small-scale innovative mobility solutions on public transport, active mobility, road safety, and electric mobility
• Documenting success stories and lessons learned from field projects to showcase impact and inspire replication
• Contributing to policy analysis by reviewing national and local mobility strategies and identifying gaps or opportunities for alignment
• Collecting data and conducting geographic/spatial analysis using GIS or mapping tools to support sustainable mobility planning
• Conducting research on emerging trends in innovative and smart mobility, and climate resilient transport
• Compiling best practices and producing briefs, reports, and presentations for capacity-building initiatives
• Drafting, reviewing and refining project proposals on Sustainable Urban Mobility
• Contributing to the review of mobility commitments in global frameworks such as the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, and supporting monitoring efforts
• Developing engaging communication and knowledge-sharing materials, including factsheets, publications, technical documents, infographics and social media posts
• Supporting training and capacity-building activities, including Safe Routes to School and sustainable mobility planning
• Organising advocacy initiatives such as tactical urbanism projects, placemaking events, car-free days, and community bicycle rides
• Support stakeholder engagement by coordinating meetings, workshops, and consultations with governments, NGOs, and local communities

Qualifications/special skills

Applicants must at the time of application, meet one of the following requirements:

• Be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher)
• Be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree program (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent)
• Have graduated with Bachelor’s degree, Masters, PhD or equivalent

Be computer literate in standard software applications (Microsoft Office Suite).

Have demonstrated a keen interest in the work of the United Nations and have a personal commitment to the ideals of the Charter.

Have a demonstrated ability to successfully interact with individuals of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, which includes a willingness to try and understand and be tolerant of differing opinions and views.

Application instructions

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