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Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Sustainable Transportation in Sustainable Cities

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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: closed (20 September 2023) | Viewed by 9633

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zaly Shah

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Guest Editor

Centre for Innovative Planning and Development (CIPD), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru 81310, Malaysia
Interests: sustainable transportation policy; active mobility; smart city; pedestrian design and planning

Prof. Dr. Eng. Muhammad Isran Ramli

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar 90245, Sulawesi Province, Indonesia
Interests: transportation engineering; transport analysis; transport microsimulation models; traffic safety; travel behaviour

Prof. Dr. Antonio Nelson Rodrigues da Silva

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Guest Editor

Department of Transportation Engineering, São Carlos School of Engineering, University of São Paulo (EESC-USP), São Carlos 13566-590, Brazil
Interests: sustainable urban mobility; sustainable urban planning; active mobility

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the COVID-19 pandemic, general urban populations experienced relative calmness and enjoyed improved environmental quality induced by limited mobility in cities. Consequently, transport regulatory agencies and transport operators are now socially and politically pressured to maintain this perceived improvement in quality of life despite the return to pre-pandemic economic and social activities. Adding to this is the fact that transport users have also now become accustomed to being protected against mobility safety and health risks. This life-changing experience has given rise to heightened expectations formed by a new paradigm of thinking among the population that sustainable transportation goes beyond the realm of protecting the environment and ensuring socially inclusive mobility, but now also includes high-quality, risk-free mobility solutions. All of these aspects require transport agencies and operators to review and to revamp the governance practices of their customer-facing business processes. However, adapting to this environmental, social and governance (ESG) thinking is a major challenge for transport agencies and operators which have invested heavily in achieving the sustainable development growth (SDG) agendas of cities. Unfortunately, compromising SDG to achieve ESG in transportation is not an option. Nor is ignoring ESG. Therefore, transport agencies and operators must incorporate ESG thinking into SDG initiatives to avoid derailing existing plans. Hence, this Special Issue aims to explore challenges and document novel solutions in adopting the new framework of environmental, social and governance (ESG) in transportation towards achieving sustainable urban living in cities. Case studies and original research papers illustrating breakthrough yet practical transportation engineering and planning solutions of how the ESG paradigm is addressed and adopted at the city level are welcome. Additionally, papers that discuss the challenges of hybrid ESG-SDG approaches in providing sustainable transportation in sustainable cities are also encouraged to be submitted to this Special Issue.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zaly Shah
Prof. Dr. Eng. Muhammad Isran Ramli
Prof. Dr. Antonio Nelson Rodrigues da Silva
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

environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework in sustainable transportation
roles of ESG in promoting gender, equality and social inclusion (GESI) in sustainable transportation
big data for ESG-SDG monitoring in sustainable transportation
ESG in financing sustainable urban transportation
application of ESG in catalysing green energy transition in urban transportation
incorporating ESG in sustainable urban mobility plan
ESG indicators for sustainable transportation
sustainable transportation policy incorporating ESG in SDG agenda
quantitative analysis of ESG impact on sustainable transportation
optimizing ESG investment in sustainable transportation
roles of ESG in emerging transportation technologies

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 307002 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rethinking Public Transit Networks Using Climate Change Mitigation and Social Justice Lenses: Great Victoria Area Case Study

by Mohaddese Ghadiri and Robert Newell

Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2414; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062414 - 14 Mar 2024

Viewed by 862

Abstract

Public transit has a relatively low GHG-to-passenger ratio and offers affordable options for local travel compared with personal vehicle travel. Investments in an effective public transit network are therefore critical for progress toward climate change mitigation and social justice. Using the Greater Victoria Area (GVA) in British Columbia, Canada, as a case study, this research identified, mapped, and examined three new regional transit network scenarios, which, respectively, align with the objectives in the planning and policy areas of (1) climate change mitigation, (2) social justice, and (3) climate justice. The methods involved a literature review to develop an analytical framework for mapping and examining new transit networks using the climate change mitigation, social justice, and climate justice lenses. The framework was revised through a research practitioner workshop, and it was then applied using network analysis techniques to (re)map the GVA’s transit networks under the three scenarios. The key outcomes of the project included an analytical framework and a process for analyzing and remapping transit networks in ways that align with climate and social justice objectives. The findings indicated the need to add some bus routes and stops, especially in the northern part of the GVA, and two new fast transit networks according to the justice lenses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Sustainable Transportation in Sustainable Cities)

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12 pages, 919 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Taxation Preferences and the Uptake of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles in Poland’s Ten Largest Cities: A Case Study

by Jacek Witkowski, Tomasz Kusio, Mariantonietta Fiore and Zbigniew Olesiński

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1221; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031221 - 31 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 586

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore whether and based on what criteria local governments employ reduced tax rates on means of transportation to encourage hybrid and electric vehicles. The study also aims to determine if there has been a more rapid increase in the number of means of transportation powered entirely or partially by electricity in local government units that have implemented more substantial incentives. The study encompasses the ten largest cities in Poland and the years 2018–2020. To achieve the above research objectives, an analysis of the texts of the resolutions of the city councils was carried out in terms of the tax rates in effect during the selected period. On the basis of the relevant amounts provided in the resolutions, the amount of concessions resulting from the application of lower tax rates was calculated, and the criteria for the use of these concessions related to the level of emissivity were presented. To assess the potential correlation between the scale of tax preferences and the dynamics of growth in the number of hybrid and electric vehicles, a statistical tool in the form of Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used for a thorough data analysis. The results suggest that municipalities use their authority to introduce differentiated tax rates on means of transportation. However, those utilizing hybrid and electric vehicles are more likely to employ these powers on an equal basis, with owners of vehicles adhering to lower emission standards covered by EURO standards. In addition, there was no positive correlation between the amount of tax credits and the rate of growth in the number of reduced-emission vehicles. This work can foster a green mindset and societal nature-based new thinking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Sustainable Transportation in Sustainable Cities)

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21 pages, 10991 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Three-Dimensional Urban Air Networks for Future Urban Air Transport Systems

by Chiara Caterina Ditta and Maria Nadia Postorino

Sustainability 2023, 15(18), 13551; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813551 - 11 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1107

Abstract

Advances in new electric aerial vehicles have encouraged research on pioneering Urban Air Mobility (UAM) solutions, which would provide fast service for passengers, goods, and emergencies. From this perspective, some air service scenarios have been identified, such as air taxis, airport shuttles, and intercity services. Such air services should be supported by a suitable urban air network, which should comply with several boundary conditions linked to the specific features of this new type of aerial mobility. This paper proposes an Urban Air Network (UAN) model that includes a third (vertical) dimension and whose aim is to satisfy the basic principle of linking origin/destination pairs, as in usual ground transportation networks, by guaranteeing at the same time safe aerial paths between origin/destination pairs with suitable vehicle separations. The proposed UAN consists of multiple 2D graphs on different layers, which allows for the transfer of aerial vehicles in lower airspace. A suitable cost function has been associated with each UAN link in order to compute the shortest paths connecting the origin/destination pairs. The links in a UAN have a dynamic nature and can be enabled or disabled in consideration of capacity issues. In addition, indirect CO₂ emissions linked to aerial vehicles (such as operational and disposal phase charges) have been computed to foresee the potential environmental impacts based on the proposed UAN model. The preliminary results of a test case show encouraging results and provide interesting findings for further advancements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Sustainable Transportation in Sustainable Cities)

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17 pages, 2510 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Splitter-Island on Pedestrian Safety at Roundabout Using Surrogate Safety Measures: A Comparative Study

by Zamir Karwand, Safizahanin Mokhtar, Koji Suzuki, Olakunle Oloruntobi, Muhammad Zaly Shah and Siti Hajar Misnan

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5359; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065359 - 17 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1745

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the splitter-island on pedestrian safety at roundabouts, considering the interaction between pedestrians and vehicles. Traffic accident statistics have traditionally been used to assess traffic safety. This method has severe limitations when used to investigate the impact of a particular feature of traffic facilities on safety at a microscopic level. Most previous research on surrogate safety measures (SSMs) had, on the other hand, focused on studying the safety of traffic operation conditions. The impact of a particular geometric feature of a roundabout on safety has so far received little attention in the literature. Therefore, we evaluated pedestrian safety in the presence and absence of physical splitter-islands by taking advantage of comparative statistical analysis (SA) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods. The Towa-Cho roundabout in Nagano prefecture in Japan was chosen for this study because it allows for five approaches, three with a splitter-island and two without. From 33-hr video data, a total of 343 and 183 potential pedestrian-vehicle conflicts were detected in three crosswalks with splitter-islands and two crosswalks without splitter-islands, respectively. The minimum time-to-collision (TTCmin), post-encroach-time (PET), maximum speed (MaxS), and maximum deceleration-to-safety (DTS) measures were monitored using particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) software for potential pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. It was found that geometric differences were significantly reflected by SSMs, and TTCmin was the most efficient among all. It was concluded that the splitter-island had a better safety performance than the roundabout approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Sustainable Transportation in Sustainable Cities)

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24 pages, 2609 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparing Inequality in Future Urban Transport Modes by Doughnut Economy Concept

by Ali Alamdar Moghaddam, Hamid Mirzahossein and Robert Guzik

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14462; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114462 - 3 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3338

Abstract

Inequality is a problem facing the world community, especially in developing countries, that affects urban transport and vice versa. Which possible urban transportation mode will cause the least inequality? This is a vital question. The development of Autonomous vehicles (AV) has made Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAV) one of the future transport modes. Active and public transport are also mentioned as applicable future modes, based on the literature. This paper aims to compare inequality in active transportation, public transport and SAV as the most important alternatives to private cars in the future. In this regard, we use doughnut economic concepts as the framework for our comparison. First, the inequality concept is expanded and then literature demonstrates the future desirability of modes. We show why doughnut economics could be a beneficial alternative for comparing that resulted in the superiority of active and public transport over SAV in terms of future inequality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Sustainable Transportation in Sustainable Cities)

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Review

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18 pages, 3948 KiB

Open AccessReview

Integration of Shared Micromobility into Public Transit: A Systematic Literature Review with Grey Literature

by Can Cui and Yu Zhang

Sustainability 2024, 16(9), 3557; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16093557 - 24 Apr 2024

Viewed by 609

Abstract

Shared micromobility services have become increasingly prevalent and indispensable as a means of transportation across diverse geographical regions. Integrating shared micromobility with public transit offers opportunities to complement fixed-route transit networks and address first- and last-mile issues. To explore this topic, a systematic literature review was conducted to consolidate knowledge, analyze research achievements and best practices, and provide future research recommendations. This study examined 108 journal papers from the Web of Science (WoS) core collection from 2016 to 2022, along with grey literature. Citation and co-citation analyses were performed to build and illustrate the literature’s bibliometric networks. This analysis categorized the literature into four major study themes: policy, sustainability, the interaction between shared micromobility and public transportation, and infrastructure. The implementation approaches of integrating shared micromobility and public transportation in different cities were classified into four categories: physical integration, payment and fee integration, informational integration, and institutional integration. The findings indicate that the relationship between shared micromobility and public transportation varies with spatial–temporal conditions and the population density of the city. Overall, integrating micromobility into public transit can offer faster and more cost-effective mobility options for most trips, contributing to urban resilience, a better air quality, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and livable communities. Based on these insights, further research is recommended to explore dynamic and context-specific strategies for successful shared micromobility and public transit integration, considering diverse urban settings and demographic factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Sustainable Transportation in Sustainable Cities)

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