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Development Trends of Sustainable Mobility

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 17195

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Leonardo Caggiani

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, and Building Engineering and Chemistry, Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Edoardo Orabona, 4, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: sustainable mobility; equity in transport planning; bike-sharing systems; transportation network design; uncertainty; data envelopment analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Luigi Pio Prencipe

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil, Environmental, Land, and Building Engineering and Chemistry, Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Edoardo Orabona, 4, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: transportation planning and modelling; sustainable mobility; shared mobility; transportation network design; vehicle routing problem; linear programming optimization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

over the last years, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and worldwide conflicts are generating several uncertainties from the economic, social, and energetic points of view. From the transportation perspective, several challenges are ongoing and new ones are coming. The main question is, what are the new development trends in the forthcoming future of transportation? The common point between governments, organizations, and citizens is that all would have cities with less congestion, less pollution, more accessibility, and better infrastructures. One of the well-known challenges in transportation is aiming at adopting more carbon-free vehicles for reducing GHG emissions. Another challenge is to provide more efficient shared mobility systems, e.g., car-sharing and bike-sharing, for reducing the ownership of private vehicles and traffic congestion. Furthermore, following the same goal, other challenges are focusing on promoting public transport and the management of micromobility systems including safety aspects. The most recent trends concerning sustainable mobility are also related to autonomous vehicles and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) developments and implementations. However, all the above-mentioned topics could present strengths and weaknesses due to the complexity of their developments and/or management in real-case and large-scale adoptions. Therefore, the goal of the proposed Special Issue is to deal with this emerging challenges and development trends including (but not limited to) novel strategies, concepts, models, methodologies, policies, data analysis, surveys and case studies applications that aim at optimizing and promoting sustainable mobility. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Leonardo Caggiani
Dr. Luigi Pio Prencipe
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Mobility as a Service (MaaS)
shared mobility
sustainable mobility
micromobility
large-scale electric vehicles adoption
autonomous vehicles
public transport promotion

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 2317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Transport Trends on Sustainability in the Western Balkans: A Future-Oriented Business Sector Perspective

by Tomislav Letnik, Katja Hanžič, Matej Mencinger and Drago Sever

Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010272 - 27 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1184

Abstract

This study examines the impact of emerging transport trends on the Western Balkans and their potential to improve the sustainability and efficiency of the transport sector in the region. In the context of global efforts to reduce environmental impacts and improve transport safety, the study aims to better understand the perspective of the business sector in order to align strategic planning for the introduction of new transport technologies and practices with the expectations of the business sector. Using a questionnaire-based survey on the Mentimeter platform, the study gathers insights from 49 transport and logistics experts. The analysis uses violin plots and heat maps to visualise the expected impact of the identified trends. The results show a consensus among the experts that the emerging trends are likely to lead to a reduction in accidents, congestion, and emissions, while at the same time increasing operating costs and investment in infrastructure. In particular, trends such as alternative fuels, electrification, and smart city initiatives are highlighted as important drivers for reducing emissions. The study concludes that while these trends are likely to lead to the achievement of environmental and safety goals, they also lead to economic challenges as operating costs increase and significant infrastructure investment is required. The study emphasises the need for strategic investment, policy adjustments, and capacity building to lead the Western Balkans towards a sustainable transport future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development Trends of Sustainable Mobility)

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18 pages, 1351 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Makes Parents Consider Shared Autonomous Vehicles as a School Travel Mode?

by Mahsa Aboutorabi Kashani, Salehe Kamyab, Amir Reza Mamdoohi and Grzegorz Sierpiński

Sustainability 2023, 15(23), 16180; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316180 - 22 Nov 2023

Viewed by 712

Abstract

The integration of shared mobility and autonomous vehicles (AVs) could potentially change the way parents decide to transport their children to and from school. A better understanding of the factors influencing parents’ intentions to use shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) for school transportation is necessary to enhance their children’s mobility. Unlike prior research, this paper significantly contributes to the literature by exploring the impacts of socioeconomic, travel-related, and psychological factors and their interactions. Using Google Forms for an online survey, the authors collected 1435 valid responses from parents in Kerman city schools in Iran. The estimation results of the generalized ordered logit model indicate the significant impact of parents’ socioeconomic status (occupation, education, income), travel behavior (accident experience, crash severity, travel cost), and attitude (innovativeness, perceived usefulness, environmental concern, pro-driving, safety), and their children-related factors (gender, the most frequently used travel mode, the possibility of tracking the child). The findings show that an increase in parents’ education, perceived usefulness, and environmental concern increase the likelihood of their intentions to use SAVs. Finally, based on the findings, several implications are suggested to increase parents’ intentions to use SAVs for transporting their children and to make SAVs a safe, affordable, and sustainable transport solution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development Trends of Sustainable Mobility)

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13 pages, 716 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Households’ Willingness to Pay for Interactive Charging Stations for Vehicle to Grid System in South Korea

by Ju-Hee Kim, Min-Ki Hyun and Seung-Hoon Yoo

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11563; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511563 - 26 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1034

Abstract

The South Korean government intends to construct interactive charging stations (ICSs) for a vehicle to grid (V2G) system that uses electric vehicles as a type of energy storage system. This article employs contingent valuation (CV) to examine households’ willingness to pay (WTP) to construct the ICSs. To this end, a CV survey of 1000 people was performed using the one-and-one-half-bound dichotomous choice questioning as the elicitation method for the WTP. To check if the response effect incurred by the questioning exists, a single-bound model, which partly uses the responses from the questioning, was also applied. Furthermore, a spike model which can model WTP observations with lots of zeros was adopted. The single-bound spike model, finally chosen for further analysis, produced some results securing statistical significance. The average household WTP is estimated as KRW 4017 (USD 3.51) per annum. A national version of the yearly WTP is derived as KRW 85.48 billion (USD 74.65 million). Considering that the occurrence period of the annual WTP is 10 years, the total present value as of the end of 2022 is computed as KRW 676.4 billion (USD 590.7 million). This study has significance in two aspects. First, quantitative information on household WTP is explicitly provided. Second, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the household WTP is empirically dealt with for the first time in the literature. In addition, the implications of this value from a policy perspective, as well as four challenges to be solved for constructing ICSs for a V2G system, are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development Trends of Sustainable Mobility)

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14 pages, 2389 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Data-Driven Approach to Analyze Mobility Patterns and the Built Environment: Evidence from Brescia, Catania, and Salerno (Italy)

by Rosita De Vincentis, Federico Karagulian, Carlo Liberto, Marialisa Nigro, Vincenza Rosati and Gaetano Valenti

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14378; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114378 - 03 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1361

Abstract

Investigating the correlation between urban mobility patterns and the built environment is crucial to support an integrated approach to transportation and land-use planning in modern cities. In this study, we aim to conduct a data-driven analysis of these two interrelated parts of the urban environment through the estimation of a set of metrics to assist city planners in making well-informed strategic decisions. Metrics are computed by aggregating and correlating different types of data sources. Floating Car Data (FCD) are used to compute metrics on mobility demand and traffic patterns. The built environment metrics are mainly derived from population and housing census data, as well as by investigating the topology and the functional classification adopted in the OpenStreetMap Repository to describe the importance and the role of each street in the overall network. Thanks to this set of metrics, accessibility indexes are then estimated to capture and explain the interaction between traffic patterns and the built environment in three Italian cities: Brescia, Catania, and Salerno. The results confirm that the proposed data-driven approach can extract valuable information to support decisions leading to more sustainable urban mobility volumes and patterns. More specifically, the application results show how the physical shape of each city and the related street network characteristics affect the accessibility profiles of different city zones and, consequently, the associated traffic patterns and travel delays. In particular, the combined analysis of city layouts, street network distributions, and floating car profiles suggests that cities such as Brescia, which is characterized by a homogeneously distributed radial street system, exhibit a more balanced spread of activities and efficient mobility behaviors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development Trends of Sustainable Mobility)

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Review

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23 pages, 1940 KiB

Open AccessReview

Bicycle Infrastructure Design Principles in Urban Bikeability Indices: A Systematic Review

by Tufail Ahmed, Ali Pirdavani, Geert Wets and Davy Janssens

Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2545; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062545 - 20 Mar 2024

Viewed by 943

Abstract

Bicycling is a sustainable form of micromobility and offers numerous health and environmental benefits. Scientific studies investigating bikeability have grown substantially, especially over the past decade. This paper presents a systematic literature review of the developed urban bikeability indices (BIs). The paper provides insight into the scientific literature on bikeability as a tool to measure bicycle environment friendliness; more importantly, the paper seeks to know if the BIs consider bicycle infrastructure design principles. Data extraction included identifying the geographical location, essential indicators, sample size and distribution, data source, the unit of analysis, measurement scale, methods used to weigh indicators, and identification of studies using bicycle design principles in BIs. The database search yielded 1649 research articles using different keywords and combinations, while 15 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria. The studies were found to be conducted in various geographical locations. The unit of analysis for developing the index varied across studies, from street segments or bicycle lanes to zones within the city or even the entire city. The most commonly utilized method in developing urban BIs was a scoring and weighting system to weigh the indicators. The weighting methods include an equal weight system, survey-based and literature review-based methods, expert surveys, the analytic hierarchy process, and a weighted linear combination model. The essential criterion is bicycle infrastructure, such as bike lanes, routes, and bicycle paths as 14 studies considered it for the construction of the BIs. The review findings suggest a lack of consideration of all five bicycle infrastructure design principles, as only three studies considered them all, while others only included a subset. Safety and comfort are the most commonly considered principles, while coherence is the least considered principles in the BIs. It is crucial to consider all five bicycle infrastructure design principles to create a bicycle-friendly environment and attract more people to this sustainable mode of transportation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development Trends of Sustainable Mobility)

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20 pages, 6047 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Review of Wireless Pavement System Based on the Inductive Power Transfer in Electric Vehicles

by Bozhi, Mahmoud Mohamed, Vahid Najafi Moghaddam Gilani, Ayesha Amjad, Mohammed Sh. Majid, Khalid Yahya and Mohamed Salem

Sustainability 2023, 15(20), 14893; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014893 - 15 Oct 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1770

Abstract

The proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) hinges upon the availability of robust and efficient charging infrastructure, notably encompassing swift and convenient solutions. Among these, dynamic wireless charging systems have garnered substantial attention for their potential to revolutionize EV charging experiences. Inductive power transfer (IPT) systems, in particular, exhibit a promising avenue, enabling seamless wireless charging through integrated pavements for EVs. This review engages in an in-depth exploration of pertinent parameters that influence the inductivity and conductivity performance of pavements, alongside the assessment of potential damage inflicted by IPT pads. Moreover, the study delves into the realm of additive materials as a strategic approach to augment conductivity and pavement performance. In essence, the review consolidates a diverse array of studies that scrutinize IPT pad materials, coil dimensions, pavement characteristics (both static and dynamic), and adhesive properties. These studies collectively illuminate the intricate dynamics of power transfer to EVs while considering potential repercussions on pavement integrity. Furthermore, the review sheds light on the efficacy of various additive materials, including metal and nanocomposite additives with an SBS base, in amplifying both conductivity and pavement performance. The culmination of these findings underscores the pivotal role of geometry optimization for IPT pads and the strategic adaptation of aggregate and bitumen characteristics to unlock enhanced performance within wireless pavements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development Trends of Sustainable Mobility)

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26 pages, 1833 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Comprehensive Review of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations with Solar Photovoltaic System Considering Market, Technical Requirements, Network Implications, and Future Challenges

by Ali Jawad Alrubaie, Mohamed Salem, Khalid Yahya, Mahmoud Mohamed and Mohamad Kamarol

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8122; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15108122 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 9314

Abstract

Electric cars (EVs) are getting more and more popular across the globe. While comparing traditional utility grid-based EV charging, photovoltaic (PV) powered EV charging may significantly lessen carbon footprints. However, there are not enough charging stations, which limits the global adoption of EVs. More public places are adding EV charging stations as EV use increases. However, using the current utility grid, which is powered by the fossil fuel basing generating system, to charge EVs has an impact on the distribution system and could not be ecologically beneficial. The current electric vehicle (EV) market, technical requirements including recent studies on various topologies of electric vehicle/photovoltaic systems, charging infrastructure as well as control strategies for Power management of electric vehicle/photovoltaic system., and grid implications including electric vehicle and Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles charging systems, are all examined in depth in this paper. The report gives overview of present EV situation as well as a thorough analysis of significant global EV charging and grid connectivity standards. Finally, the challenges and suggestions for future expansion of the infrastructure of EV charging, grid integration, are evaluated and summarized. It has been determined that PV-grid charging has the ability to create a profit. However, due to the limited capacity of the PV as well as the batteries, the Power system may not be cost effective. Furthermore, since PV is intermittent, it is probable that it will not be able to generate enough electricity to meet consumer demand. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Development Trends of Sustainable Mobility)

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