Comotion Podcast

Since opening to foreign investment and trade, China has seen an ensuing urbanization that would make industrial economies of the 19th century blush: Beijing alone went from 20,000 cars to about 6 million in 40 years. Along the way, hundreds of miles of high speed rail, thousands of layers of digital infrastructure, and countless new housing units came with that urbanization - but what has China learned from its breakneck urbanization, and what will places like the Arabian Gulf take from it? To answer that, host Nick Perloff-Giles is joined by Lola Woetzel, China expert and Founder & Partner at Global6, a global advisory firm.

Chinese giants like BYD have surged in the share of previously impenetrable markets like the EU and the Gulf, prompting concern by policymakers and excitement by consumers looking to save on their next car. How did we get here? Where does the industry go from here? To answer that, host Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Automobility's Bill Russo, former auto executive and expert in the automotive industry, to discuss how China isn't just rethinking auto manufacturing - it's rethinking what a mobility industry even looks like.

In this episode of CoMotion’s Fast Forward podcast, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Laura Krull, Senior Policy Manager at Lyft Urban Solutions, to discuss the rapidly changing world of electrified bikeshare. Bikeshare is suddenly becoming half mobility service, half distributed battery network - how should planners, policymakers, and riders be thinking about the change?

In municipal elections across the country recently, incumbent mayors faced recall challenges. Not so in Boston, where Mayor Michelle Wu ran unopposed in a race that affirmed her positive, proactive approach to governing. In this episode, Nick sits down with Shin-Pei Tsay, the chief research and data officer and executive director at the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM); Shin-pei has led a variety of efforts to reimagine city services to be more efficient, equitable, and fun, and speaks about the challenges and opportunities therein.

In cities across the United States, you can now order a self-driving robotaxi with the push of a button. Not so in Europe, where challenges to scaling and piloting keep the technology in an ever-nascent state. What needs to change for the technology to truly take off there, and what'll be different there than in car-hungry America? Those are the questions our guest today, Pierfrancesco Maran, answers.

What might a city look like if it was designed for cognitive comfort, rather than efficiency or productivity? That's the question asked by Josephine Yilan Liu, a 'cognitive urbanist' and founder of Transformative Cities, a framework and consulting practice that turns scientific insight into design tools—practical enough to guide small decisions, deep enough to reframe how we think about urban life. In this episode, host Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Josephine to learn more about rethinking our cities from a holistic, cognitive perspective.

In the latest episode of CoMotion's Fast Forward podcast, host Nick Perloff-Giles sat down with Joshua Schank to discuss his forthcoming book 'New Tricks for Old Bureaucracies,' which examines his time as Director of LA Metro's Office of Extraordinary Innovation, including insights into how to break logjams, build consensus, and get agencies moving.  ———————————— At this inflection point in the American mobility ecosystem, the nation's decision makers are attending CoMotion LA '25, Nov. 12-13. This year’s gathering brings together an unprecedented array of thought-leaders, mayors, innovative policymakers, technology founders, VC investors and international delegations to discuss what’s next. Well also explore the latest mobility-focused data and digital tools as part of a special special OMF Summit Track. Register now and bring your colleagues, plus-one for half of the price: https://www.comotionglobal.com/comotionla2025 ———————————— CoMotion GLOBAL, hosted by Saudi Conventions & Exhibitions General Aut

Belgium leads the EU in EV adoption, and isn't resting on its laurels - it already has 3x the number of EV chargers per capita than the average peer country, and is planning a massive buildout. How exactly did they make it happen, and what opportunities exist for those outside of the country to get involved? To learn more, Nick Perloff-Giles sat down with Piet Demunter, CEO of Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT), to discuss the Belgian sustainability miracle and its lessons for abroad.

In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Dr. Noel Hacegaba, COO of the Port of Long Beach, and Heather Tomley, Managing Director of Planning and Environmental Affairs for the Port of Long Beach, to discuss how a system as complicated as one of America's largest ports has managed to effectively stop most port-related pollution, and how it plans to go even further.

In this episode of Fast Forward, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Founder & Chief Curator of CoMotion John Rossant to discuss CoMotion's newest venture - a conference in Riyadh, focused on the intersection of east and west, mobility and technology, and policy and application. Listen for a preview of what the conference is preparing to offer. ———————————— Saudi Arabia and Riyadh are at the crossroads of a global shift to sustainable, connected and multimodal mobility. CoMotion GLOBAL in Riyadh on Dec 7–9, 2025, will set the urban agenda in the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic cities. Connect with an unprecedented array of public and private sector leaders shaping the future of mobility, including mayors, innovative policymakers, founders & CEOs, and VC investors. Explore the future of mobility and urban transformation — where East meets West in a groundbreaking global forum. The world’s next great leap in mobility starts here. Join the movement: comotionglobal.com ———————————— LinkedIn: linked

In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Steve Adler, former mayor and city councilmember of Austin, TX. They discuss the work required to bridge across interest groups, passing legislation with long time horizons, and how to build consensus for large-scale transit projects.

With the recent signing of Shohei Otani, traffic to Dodger Stadium, LA's premiere sports venue, is up more than 12% - all without fixed transit infrastructure to handle the surge. In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with David Grannis of Zero-Emissions Transit and Michael Manley of Gondola manufacturer Leitner-Poma to discuss their project that solves the stadium's congestion by going in one direction: up.

Why is it often easier to pay for a cup of coffee than it is to pay for a ride on transit? In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Ben Lebedin from US Bank & Elavon to discuss the opportunities presented by open-loop payments, the benefits of the service to both consumers and transit agencies, and the treasure trove of data that it presents.

In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles is joined by Matthew Daus, Partner at Windels-Marx and former Commissioner of the New York City TLC. They discuss the political headwinds facing congestion pricing, the challenges and successes of modernizing taxi service in the city, and what insurance markets might yield in policy to come.

More than 70% of CO2 emissions are being generated in cities and these cities often lack access to the financing tools necessary to bring sustainable solutions to life. In this episode, CoMotion’s John Rossant chats with Mauricio Rodas, Former Mayor of Quito, Ecuador, and Lisa Sachs, Director, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment to discuss the rising demand for sustainable mobility and transit solutions, and the new global Taskforce The SUMIT. ———————————— Join us next week at CoMotion MIAMI '25, Apr 29-30. Get your pass now: www.comotionmiami.com/register ———————————— LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/CoMotionNEWS Twitter: twitter.com/CoMotionNEWS YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCUdylw5XdxHdaXi-1KGwJnQ

Across the country, transit agencies face a dilemma: how to provide reliable, safe, and equitable service for individuals who rely on ADA paratransit, while keeping costs low? In this episode, CoMotion's Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Dmitriy Vanchugov, Head of Partnerships at Uber Transit, alongside Spare Labs Co-Founder & CEO Kristoffer Vik Hansen, Stephanie Doughty (MV Transportation), and David Hatch (MBTA) to explore all the different aspects of ‘Riders’ Choice’, an innovative approach to paratransit that allows riders to flexibly choose between conventional paratransit vehicles and ridehail.

In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Lewis Lehe, Assistant Professor in the Transportation Systems group of the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at UIUC, to discuss congestion pricing's consequences, two months later. Has the toll worked in reducing congestion downtown? How might we measure that? And beyond simply reducing congestion, are there other benefits to this policy? This conversation explores answers to those questions, and probes further about the purpose of ambitious policies like this one.

In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Leigh-Ann Buchanan, Founder & CEO of the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority, a 501c(3) non-profit that connects the most innovative startups in Miami's private markets with the most pressing needs in the public sector. They discuss how MDIA is disrupting slow procurements, and how public sector involvement can 'de-risk' innovation. Plus, a sneak peek at CoMotion MIAMI '25.

In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Puneeth Meruva, Partner at Trucks VC, a fund which invests in early-stage ideas that make transportation decarbonized, safer and more accessible. With the retrenchment of public dollars in things like electrification and alternatives to private automotives, the private sector is exploring where true creativity and returns are possible, and where policy adaptations can yield scalable change; hear in this conversation where the future dollars of early stage investors might go!

In this episode, Nick Perloff-Giles sits down with Alison Cohen, founder, chair, and president of Bicycle Transit Systems, one of the oldest and largest bikesharing networks in the country. They talk about the stubborn economics of bikeshares, the history of the model from coin-operated to electrified, and what's in store as systems recover from the ebbing ridership of the pandemic.