Post on 30-Apr-2017
URBAN GONDOLAS, AERIAL ROPEWAYS AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: PAST MISTAKES AND FUTURE STRATEGIESRyan O’Connor and Steven Dale
Overview Introduction Scope and purpose of paper Current UPT and urban gondola market Three ‘industry specific’ hurdles
The “urban disconnect” Chasing the wrong installations Resistance to change
Conclusions Questions / comments
Author profiles Ryan O’Connor BRP hons., PGCertBus, GNZPI
Presenter Town Planning Consultant based in Wellington,
New Zealand Steven Dale Hons. B.A., B.Urb.
Creative Urban Projects (CUP) based in Toronto, Canada
Creator of ‘The Gondola Project’ website Two urban planners with previous
involvement with the ropeway industry, urban transport proposals and research
Scope and purpose of paper Paper does not research the merits of urban
gondolas – that has been done before Explores ‘industry specific’ obstacles and
solutions to sustainable growth in the UPT market from an urban planners perspective
Focuses on ‘detachable aerial ropeways’ (urban gondolas)
Designed to stimulate debate by presenting a subjective opinion on the current situation and future possibilities of the urban gondola market
Current UPT and urban gondola market Urban gondolas are now competitive with
more traditional UPT technologies yet are still rarely considered a viable alternative
The industry is selling more ropeways to the urban market than ever before - why change the current strategy?
Success should be measured against market opportunities as opposed to moderate increases in sales
Different issues exist in the urban market, thus different strategies are required to capture it
Growth in urban ropeway installations
Current UPT and urban gondola market Urbanization presents favorable demographic
and economic trends for the UPT market There are significant opportunities for urban
gondolas in dense urban environments The industry is well positioned to capture
growth, but there are risks of not taking proactive steps
A strategic approach is required to ensure favorable positioning translates into success
Mistake 1: The “Urban Disconnect”
The UPT market is complex and considerably different than the tourist / winter market
A particular problem is poor access to accurate and up-to-date information for industry outsiders
Urban professionals and the public are ill-informed of the technologies capabilities
‘Rubbish in, rubbish out’ phenomena The “urban disconnect” continues…
Example: CTV News
These images were used to explain what an ‘urban gondola’ is on prime-time news. In this case, a prime marketing opportunity for the technology turned out to be both detrimental and counterproductive.
Mistake 2: Chasing the wrong installations Procurement in the UPT market is
considerably different than the tourist / winter market
Opening, qualifying and closing sales leads demanding and costly
Expect to field increased queries and propositions from UPT market
Prioritizing resources is essential Is the existing sales model is suitably
equipped for the UPT market?
Mistake 3: Resistance to change
Sustaining vs. disruptive technologies The industry has triumphed at innovation
when required in the tourist / winter market, but not so much the UPT market
Paper specifies potential innovations of benefit
Risk of not innovating, someone else will! Example: High Speed Rail and Chinese
innovation
Overview of Solutions Paper highlights 15 specific solutions
tackling two core areas: Better addressing the underlying
structure ‘that takes the product to the market’ - providing accurate and effective information to the right people
Technology and system design could benefit from targeted innovation specific to UPT
Some of the key solutions... Participate in the research process. Fund or
assist in high-quality research and ensure that it spreads throughout the urban/transport planning community.
Use education and due diligence processes as a tool to identify and prioritize sound urban gondola opportunities while ignoring those unlikely to be realized.
Identify system characteristics that require innovation for the UPT market and invest in research and development in those core areas.
Conclusions The industry has thrived the tourist / winter
market – it has innovated when faced with difficult challenges
The future for the industry in the UPT market appears promising and lucrative
Strategies tailored to the UPT market are required
Manufacturers are well placed, but a proactive and strategic approach will ensure success
Lastly.... Thank you to the International
Organization for Transportation by Rope (O.I.T.A.F) for providing us the opportunity to present this paper to you today!
Questions.... Do not hesitate to approach Steven or
myself (Ryan) at the Congress to discuss any points in further detail
Or contact us by email at - ryan@planningservices.co.nz steven@creativeurbanprojects.com