Integrated Mobility Plan for the Greater Kochi Region

Year: 2023–2024  |  Client: GIZ  |  Country: India (Kochi)

Cities Forum prepared an Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) for the Greater Kochi Region, on behalf of GIZ, to bring coherence to a fast-growing metropolitan area where numerous urban-transport initiatives had advanced in parallel without a unifying framework. Kochi has invested significantly in mobility, from its metro to water transport and bus services, but such investments deliver their full value only when planned as an integrated system; the IMP was designed to weave these threads into a single, coordinated vision for the region.

Our approach

The plan was explicitly conceived to integrate all existing urban-transport initiatives, identifying overlaps and, crucially, filling the gaps between them. Cities Forum began with a thorough review of existing studies and plans, building a consolidated picture of what had been proposed, what was under way, and where inconsistencies or blind spots remained. This diagnostic phase was paired with extensive stakeholder consultations and institutional coordination, essential in a context where responsibility for mobility is shared across multiple agencies and tiers of government, and where alignment is often the binding constraint on delivery.

What we delivered

From this foundation the team moved to project identification, defining a coherent portfolio of interventions across public transport, multimodal integration, active mobility and supporting infrastructure, prioritised and sequenced within a shared strategic framework. Recognising that plans succeed or fail on implementation, Cities Forum embedded capacity development throughout, strengthening the ability of local institutions to take the plan forward, coordinate across agencies, and manage delivery over time.

Impact

The Integrated Mobility Plan gives the Greater Kochi Region a unifying blueprint that turns a collection of separate initiatives into a connected, efficient and sustainable mobility system, with clear priorities, defined roles and a stronger institutional foundation for delivery. For Cities Forum, the assignment exemplifies its core competence in integrated, multimodal mobility planning for growing cities, and reinforced its long-standing partnership with GIZ in supporting Indian urban regions on the path to sustainable, well-coordinated transport.