Urbanisation will continue to grow and incomes will keep on rising in advanced economies. The same will happen in emerging economies, but at much higher rates. These are positive developments. However, their impacts on the evolution of mobility patterns and the associated energy, environment and climate impacts sometimes instill fear. Bleak images are conjured up of a car-based dystopia with unbearable congestion, local pollution, and uncontrolled growth of energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. Such pessimism is not warranted because it underestimates citizens' and policy-makers' capacity to recognize problems and do something about them. The contributions to this special issue are testimony to this. They showcase a variety of ways in which urban transport systems can be rebalanced, moving away from the overreliance on cars that has characterised many of these systems in the past.