Urban air mobility

: In this article, I would like to set the stage for this is IGLUS Quarterly special issue on the governance of urban airspace. In it, I first want to explain what the problem is and then derive from there the different needs for governance. In a third section, I will refer to the broad IGLUS framework, and highlight what one might be able to learn from the IGLUS experience for the governance of urban airspace. Abstract: Based on the available literature and a number of interviews conducted with some of the important stakeholders, the aim of this contribution is to provide a short introduction to the evolving concept of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), providing some context, a brief overview of the state of play and an outlook focussing on the potential benefits as well as the role of cities with regard to a UAM ecosystem. Abstract: The need for alternative transport solutions in cities and advancements in drone technologies have recently paved the way for the revival of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) industry. Even if on-demand helicopter services have a long history, urban air has never been a topic discussed in the past as it has been during the last decade. Increasing populations in urban areas, traffic congestion on the ground, and the lack of alternative transport solutions are some of the incentives for the tech companies which have incrementally invested in research and development activities for urban air transport vehicles and their ecosystem. There have been many pilot projects in different cities worldwide, and the debate for realizing the concept, especially in passenger transport, is more heated. This short article intends to give an overview of where we stand in terms of UAM and elaborate more on what can be expected in the medium and long run. Abstract: This article aims to briefly discuss the state of play in urban air mobility (UAM) through the examples of Singapore and Hamburg. Both cities experimented with sandbox projects – UAM laboratories – in an attempt to identify problems and solutions on the way to implementing urban air mobility. The brief introduction and comparison of the two projects provides a snapshot of where urban air mobility solutions stand today.