The population of Damascus and its surrounding functional urban area is estimated at approximately four million inhabitants. As a major urban centre, Damascus functions as the national economic, political, and administrative hub. The surrounding cities and Rural Damascus Governorate are highly dependent on the city of Damascus for employment and services, reinforcing its urban centrality and regional importance. Damascus faces significant deficiencies in its public transport system, notably the absence of an integrated and sustainable network capable of meeting contemporary urban mobility demands. These shortcomings have led to negative urban, social, and environmental impacts, including poor integration between transport modes, lack of efficient intermodal facilities, dominance of private vehicles over pedestrians, inadequate provision for people with disabilities, and increased air and noise pollution resulting from insufficient environmental standards in urban planning.
Several studies have addressed the reorganization of Damascus’s urban transport system. This seminar session draws on key proposals from these studies aimed at modernizing and improving transport systems and mobility patterns in both the short and long term. In this context, traffic congestion and public transport deficiencies remain among the most critical urban challenges facing Damascus in the twenty-first century, underscoring the need for a comprehensive planning vision and an integrated strategy to promote sustainable mobility, enhance transport efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and improve urban quality of life.