"First life, then spaces, then buildings — the other way around never works." — Jan Gehl•"Not TV or illegal drugs but the automobile has been the chief destroyer of American communities." — Jane Jacobs•"Beyond a critical speed, no one can save time without forcing another to lose it." — Ivan Illich•"An advanced city is not one where the poor own a car, but one where the rich use public transport." — Enrique Peñalosa•"Streets and their sidewalks — the main public places of a city — are its most vital organs." — Jane Jacobs•"A protected bikeway is a symbol of democracy." — Enrique Peñalosa•"Participatory democracy demands low-energy technology, and free people must travel the road to productive social relations at the speed of a bicycle." — Ivan Illich•"A good city is like a good party — people stay longer than really necessary because they are enjoying themselves." — Jan Gehl• "First life, then spaces, then buildings — the other way around never works." — Jan Gehl•"Not TV or illegal drugs but the automobile has been the chief destroyer of American communities." — Jane Jacobs•"Beyond a critical speed, no one can save time without forcing another to lose it." — Ivan Illich•"An advanced city is not one where the poor own a car, but one where the rich use public transport." — Enrique Peñalosa•"Streets and their sidewalks — the main public places of a city — are its most vital organs." — Jane Jacobs•"A protected bikeway is a symbol of democracy." — Enrique Peñalosa•"Participatory democracy demands low-energy technology, and free people must travel the road to productive social relations at the speed of a bicycle." — Ivan Illich•"A good city is like a good party — people stay longer than really necessary because they are enjoying themselves." — Jan Gehl•
Issue 03 · January 2026 Biweekly · Urban Transport Intelligence
The Switch Stack
Where the numbers flip the narrative
Motorcycle Death Myth & Urban Transport 4 Articles · Safety, Speed & The Cage
#01 #02 #03 #04 #05 #06 #07
The Investigation

The Safety Cage: Who Your Car Protects and Who It Doesn’t

12 min read

You chose your car because it was safe. Five stars. But the rating measures how well it protects you from a crash—not how well it protects the pedestrian you hit. In European cities, 70% of road deaths are people outside the cage. The data on who dies—and what’s driving over them.

Read the full story →
Also in this issue
The Briefing

Your Car Is a Weapon With a Seatbelt

8 min read

1.19M killed/year globally. 53% are pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. SUVs: +23% pedestrian death risk per 300 kg. 30 km/h survival: 90%. 50 km/h survival: 50%. The data on who your car protects—and who it doesn’t.
The Data

Urban Kill Rate: Per Vehicle, Per Km, Per Victim

4 min read

Motorcyclists die 20–28x more per km. But cars kill 3.25 others per billion vkm. SUV market share: 10% (2010) to 48% (2023). Helsinki: zero deaths in 12 months. The numbers that flip the safety narrative.
The Editorial

The Cage and the Exposed

9 min read

Every safety feature in your car was designed to protect you from the consequences of your own speed. None were designed to protect the person you hit. An essay on the moral architecture of urban transport.

About This Issue

All articles share the same verified dataset. Key figures: 1.19M global road deaths/year (WHO 2023). 53% are vulnerable road users. In EU urban areas, 70% of deaths are pedestrians, cyclists, and PTW users. Motorcyclists die 20–28x more per km than car occupants, but the car fleet dominates in absolute third-party deaths. SUVs increase pedestrian death risk by 23% per 300 kg added. Helsinki achieved zero road deaths for 12 months with 30 km/h limits.

Data Sources

WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023. European Commission Road Safety 2024. PMC7848050 — Externalized risk study, Journal of Transport & Health (2021). IIHS — SUV pedestrian lethality. FIA Foundation — Vehicle size report. ETSC — Urban road safety. ICCT — European Vehicle Market Statistics 2024/25. AAA Foundation — Speed impact study.