UCLA professor of urban planning Adam Millard-Ball was featured in UCLA Magazine’s “UCLA’s Innovation Engine,” highlighting his research on how cities can use data-driven approaches to rethink mobility, climate action and urban design.

Millard-Ball’s recent active travel study examined more than 11,500 cities across 121 countries to explore how walking and biking infrastructure could transform communities worldwide. The research found that adopting street designs similar to Copenhagen’s could significantly increase active transportation while reducing vehicle emissions and generating public health benefits.

At the heart of his work is a question that guides cities toward new possibilities: “What’s possible?” Millard-Ball emphasizes that universities provide the space for independent, long-term research that can help communities imagine and build better urban futures.