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Sustainability
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Mobility for Sustainable Societies: Challenges and Opportunities
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Mobility for Sustainable Societies: Challenges and Opportunities

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 18932

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Chiara Leva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Technological University Dublin, Lower Grangegorman, Dublin, Ireland
Interests: Accident Databases; Accident Investigations; Human & Organisational Factors; Human Error; Human Reliability Analysis; Safety Management Systems
Dr. Ron McQuaid

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Management, Work and Organisation Cottrell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
Interests: Employment; Local Economic Development; Human Resource Management
Dr. Floridea Di Ciommo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Management, CAMBIAMO Duque de Fernán Núñez, 2, 1º. 28012, Madrid, Spain
Interests: transport and urban planning; gender
Dr. Lena Levin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, 581 95 Linköping, Sweden
Interests: Mobility; gender studies; social policy
Prof. Dr. Andree Woodcock

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty Research Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities, Coventry University, Priory Street, Coventry, UK, CV1 5FB
Interests: user-centred design; Mobility; gender studies; inclusive approach

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are proposing a Special Issue on the challenges and opportunities related to mobility for sustainable societies. Sustainable mobility is a term that can be used to summarise “what is at stake in contemporary attempts to redress the balance of costs and benefits in the transport sector”(Giorgi 2003[1]). A sustainable approach requires a shift away from a focus on traditional transport planning towards “a policy approach that is informed by evidence and risk assessment and which recognises the pitfalls of unconstrained growth” (Giorgi 2003) and also one that is fair to all groups using or related to transport. As a vision, sustainable mobility has been quite influential in effecting recent changes among policy-makers and key stakeholders. However, it is particularly critical in the current context where we have found ourselves in the face of a global pandemic. We, therefore, would like to receive contributions on case studies, risk assessment and approaches facing the challenges and opportunities, including those arising from our current mobility context.

Fairness in transport is often an important desired outcome of transport systems and developments (in public transport, self-driving cars, vehicle sharing, employment in transport etc.). However, both the concept and how to achieve it are poorly understood. This Special Issue seeks high-quality theoretical, policy and empirical papers that will progress our understanding of, and how to move towards, fairer sustainable transport systems. Papers may be related to any aspect of sustainable mobility or fairness in transport, and those related to gender are particularly welcome. 

Some important aspects of sustainable mobility include (but are not restricted to) how goals on gender equality, equity and diversity are considered in the transport sector; how to plan, construct and maintain fair transport systems; road safety and public confidence; transport poverty; public consultation and civic dialogue; users and potential user power and influence over their own mobility, climate change and the role of sustainable transport, transport justice and, in general, any aspect related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals applied to transport.

Papers may deal with any aspect of sustainable mobility and/or fairness in transport, including the following:

  • How do concepts of ‘fairness’, ‘equality of opportunities’ and ‘equality of outcomes’ lead to different transport policies and sustainable mobility?
  • How do transport systems deal with fairness (an example being balancing cheaper fares for some groups, such as children, but not others)?
  • Which groups in society are particularly affected by issues of fairness and sustainable mobility in transport?
  • Whose decisions form the future transport system? – How are power and influence distributed among citizens and groups of citizens, regarding mobility and space for transport solutions?
  • What policies are needed to help achieve fair and sustainable mobility in transport and for whom?
  • How can policies related to fair and sustainable mobility be implemented and moved into practice?
  • How do issues of fair and sustainable mobility influence different modes and types of transport (e.g., public transport, autonomous vehicles, bicycle or car-sharing) or employment in transport? 

[1] Giorgi, L. (2003). Sustainable mobility. Challenges, opportunities and conflicts–a social science perspective. International Social Science Journal, 55(176), 179-183. 

Dr. Maria Chiara Leva
Dr. Ron McQuaid
Dr. Floridea Di Ciommo
Dr. Lena Levin
Prof. Dr. Andree Woodcock
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 planning
  • Transport sustainability
  • Gender and mobility
  • Travel behaviours
  • Accessibility and social equity
  • Human factors in transport

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1529 KiB  
Article
The Lure and Limits of Smart Cars: Visual Analysis of Gender and Diversity in Car Branding
by Hilda Rømer Christensen, Louise Anker Nexø, Stine Pedersen and Michala Hvidt Breengaard
Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6906; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116906 - 6 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2857
Abstract
Introduction: Currently Europe regards itself as a leader in the global race towards smart automated transport. According to ERTRAC, European Road Transport Research Advisory Council, automated driving innovation is motivated by technological advancements as well as “social goals of equality”. This article analyzes [...] Read more.
Introduction: Currently Europe regards itself as a leader in the global race towards smart automated transport. According to ERTRAC, European Road Transport Research Advisory Council, automated driving innovation is motivated by technological advancements as well as “social goals of equality”. This article analyzes to what extent such dimensions of gender and diversity have become visible in smart car advertisements and how they correspond with the notion of Gender-Smart Mobility, which signifies equal and accessible transport solutions. Methods: Guided by theoretical notions of gender scripts and discourse analysis, this article addresses how perspectives of smart technology, gender, and class are carved out and handled in YouTube videos applied as marketing tools. Using visual analysis as a method, videos from well-known car producers such as BMW and Volvo are scrutinized. The visual analysis includes a presentation of the car company, descriptions of the most relevant YouTube videos, and discussion of the findings. Results: The visual analysis of the Volvo and BMW YouTube videos points to the lack of inclusiveness. There continues to be a prevalent reproduction of gendered stereotypes in the videos, not least in the notion of ‘hyper masculinity’ storytelling by BMW and how leaders (be they women or men) look, i.e., middle-class people. Volvo, on the other hand, has maintained its focus on female professionals in parallel with the introduction of new and energy-saving cars. Yet, a rather one-sided presentation of a professional business-woman is depicted as a replication of the businessman. Conclusion: In the final section, it is assessed how the visual branding complies with the notion of Gender-Smart Mobility, a concept that was developed in the EU Horizon 2020 project TInnGO. The two brands meet the Gender-Smart Mobility indicator, but only to some degree. None of the companies are fully inclusive, and it is difficult to label them as gender-smart and sustainable despite their ambitions of feeding into the green transition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobility for Sustainable Societies: Challenges and Opportunities)
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18 pages, 1676 KiB  
Article
Fairness and Inclusion for Users of Surface Transport—An Exploratory Thematic Study for Irish Users
by Ajeni Ari, Maria Chiara Leva, Lorraine D’Arcy and Mary Kinahan
Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6480; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116480 - 25 May 2022
Viewed by 1944
Abstract
This paper explores the conditions of public transport with respect to user accessibility, design of infrastructure, and safety from a gendered perspective. Our investigation aims to understand the factors that direct a citizen’s choice of whether or not to use public transport. Our [...] Read more.
This paper explores the conditions of public transport with respect to user accessibility, design of infrastructure, and safety from a gendered perspective. Our investigation aims to understand the factors that direct a citizen’s choice of whether or not to use public transport. Our discussion is focused on gender disparities among user experiences, so we confine our focus to that of women’s perspectives and their experiences with public transport use. A framework for our discussion was formed with consideration of the theoretical aspects of fairness, justice, and gender in transport, as well as user statistics. We identified several spaces where public transport policy planning and implementation may be improved in order to balance gender disparity of access, safety, and security across the gender divide. (We acknowledge that both distinct and interchangeable definitions of safety and security exist. In this work, we err to the latter, while also recognising from user-based qualitative data that safety concerns are not limited to infrastructure, but also relate to other unwanted sources of physical, mental, or emotional harm experienced within the transport system.) Primary among these was the necessity of both the acknowledgment and appreciation of the issues disproportionately experienced by women. A one-size-fits-all approach was found to ill-recognise the societal minutiae of constant caring responsibilities, income limitations, ability/disability, or the effects of past negative experiences faced by women. We conclude that improvements may be achieved by targeting and meeting actual, not just perceived need. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobility for Sustainable Societies: Challenges and Opportunities)
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22 pages, 7318 KiB  
Article
Computational Solutions Based on Bayesian Networks to Hierarchize and to Predict Factors Influencing Gender Fairness in the Transport System: Four Use Cases
by Gemma Dolores Molero, Sara Poveda-Reyes, Ashwani Kumar Malviya, Elena García-Jiménez, Maria Chiara Leva and Francisco Enrique Santarremigia
Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11372; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011372 - 14 Oct 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1999
Abstract
Previous studies have highlighted inequalities and gender differences in the transport system. Some factors or fairness characteristics (FCs) strongly influence gender fairness in the transport system. The difference with previous studies, which focus on general concepts, is the incorporation of level 3 FCs, [...] Read more.
Previous studies have highlighted inequalities and gender differences in the transport system. Some factors or fairness characteristics (FCs) strongly influence gender fairness in the transport system. The difference with previous studies, which focus on general concepts, is the incorporation of level 3 FCs, which are more detailed aspects or measures that can be implemented by companies or infrastructure managers and operators in order to increase fairness and inclusion in each use case. The aim of this paper is to find computational solutions, Bayesian networks, and analytic hierarchy processes capable of hierarchizing level 3 FCs and to predict by simulation their values in the case of applying some improvements. This methodology was applied to data from women in four use cases: railway transport, autonomous vehicles, bicycle sharing stations, and transport employment. The results showed that fairer railway transport requires increased personal space, hospitality rooms, help points, and helpline numbers. For autonomous vehicles, the perception of safety, security, and sustainability should be increased. The priorities for bicycle sharing stations are safer cycling paths avoiding hilly terrains and introducing electric bicycles, child seats, or trailers to carry cargo. In transport employment, the priorities are fair recruitment and promotion processes and the development of family-friendly policies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobility for Sustainable Societies: Challenges and Opportunities)
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25 pages, 12939 KiB  
Article
Comparing Passenger Satisfaction, Employees’ Perspective and Performance on Quality and Safety Indicators: A Field Study
by Luca D’Alonzo, Maria Chiara Leva and Edgardo Bucciarelli
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5636; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105636 - 18 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2957
Abstract
This paper aims to analyze the impact that different attributes related to a Regional Airport service and the socio-economic factors of the passengers have on the passenger’s overall satisfaction. The study also compared passenger and employee satisfaction in relation to the service offered [...] Read more.
This paper aims to analyze the impact that different attributes related to a Regional Airport service and the socio-economic factors of the passengers have on the passenger’s overall satisfaction. The study also compared passenger and employee satisfaction in relation to the service offered by the airport, to identify possible critical areas of improvement. An Ordinal Logistic Regression (OLR) approach was used to model how the attributes considered for qualifying airport services and the socio-economic variables impact the predicted variable (i.e., passenger satisfaction). Furthermore, the results were triangulated to include quality and safety performance indicators as an objective anchor point for the performance of the company. The findings indicate interesting areas of difference between the perceptions of the passengers and airport employees regarding a company’s services and its performance. The company managers in the key areas of operation were then asked to select the main areas of improvement among the ones highlighted by the survey’s results. Quality and safety indicators were also helpful in enriching the analysis and indicating good synergy with the suggestions collected from the passengers’ and the employees’ surveys, offering yet another complementary perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobility for Sustainable Societies: Challenges and Opportunities)
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29 pages, 8129 KiB  
Article
Unveiling Women’s Needs and Expectations as Users of Bike Sharing Services: The H2020 DIAMOND Project
by Andrea Gorrini, Rawad Choubassi, Federico Messa, Wafaa Saleh, Augustus Ababio-Donkor, Maria Chiara Leva, Lorraine D’Arcy, Francesco Fabbri, David Laniado and Pablo Aragón
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5241; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095241 - 7 May 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4188
Abstract
Within the objectives of the H2020 DIAMOND project, the paper investigates women’s needs and expectations as users of the bike-sharing service managed by Syndicat Mixte Autolib et Velib Métropole in the territory of Paris Region-Petite Couronne (France). The paper presents a thematic literature [...] Read more.
Within the objectives of the H2020 DIAMOND project, the paper investigates women’s needs and expectations as users of the bike-sharing service managed by Syndicat Mixte Autolib et Velib Métropole in the territory of Paris Region-Petite Couronne (France). The paper presents a thematic literature review focused on gender inclusion in bike-sharing schemes. The proposed methodological approach is based on (i) Geographic Information Systems for the analysis of geolocated open datasets related to land, sociodemographic and mobility characteristics of the areas surrounding each docking stations. This was aimed at identifying a short list of suitable bike-sharing docking stations, which were further characterized through: (ii) structured proprietary data focused on travel demand; (iii) onsite observations focused on universal design indicators; (iv) survey questionnaires focused on women’s concerns, needs and expectations; and (v) social media data from Twitter focused on the opinion of the end-users. Results showed that women use the VELIB’s bike-sharing service much less than men (about 30% of the total number of users), since they are more concerned about the following issues: accessibility (e.g., availability of bikes at the docking stations, distance to the nearest station, type and quality of the cycle paths); safety and security (e.g., perception of danger and insecurity while cycling and using the current bicycle infrastructures); social constraints (e.g., perceptions and cultural stigmatization associated with cycling and bike-sharing); weather and topography (e.g., impact of weather and the urban terrain on cycling and bike-sharing). The final aim of the H2020 DIAMOND project is to support the definition of guidelines and policies for the inclusion of women’s needs in the design of future bike-sharing services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobility for Sustainable Societies: Challenges and Opportunities)
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43 pages, 4469 KiB  
Article
Application of Mathematical and Computational Methods to Identify Women’s Priorities in Transport
by Sara Poveda-Reyes, Ashwani Kumar Malviya, Elena García-Jiménez, Gemma Dolores Molero, Maria Chiara Leva and Francisco Enrique Santarremigia
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2845; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052845 - 5 Mar 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2996
Abstract
It is well established that the transport sector is not an equalitarian sector. To develop a sustainable society, a more equalitarian and safe transport system for both users and transport sector employees is needed. This work prioritizes the needs and barriers previously identified [...] Read more.
It is well established that the transport sector is not an equalitarian sector. To develop a sustainable society, a more equalitarian and safe transport system for both users and transport sector employees is needed. This work prioritizes the needs and barriers previously identified as relevant among transport system users and employees for four different transport scenarios (railways, autonomous vehicles (AVs), bicycle-sharing services (BSSs), and employment). The aim of this paper is to prioritize the factors affecting women in these four transport scenarios with the help of a survey followed by the application of mathematical and computational algorithms based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) methodology. The identification of factors with higher influence in the fair participation of women in the transport sector will help transport planners, bike-sharing system owners, decision-makers, transport companies, and regulatory professionals to develop measures that could plausibly increase the proportion of women as users of BSSs, users of rail public transport, and AVs, as well as employees in the transport sector for a sustainable society. The results indicated that safety and security were the most challenging factors for railways. Weather, topography, and family responsibilities were shown to have a high influence on the use of BSSs. In the case of autonomous vehicles, the simultaneity and trust in the technology are the main opportunities to influence the acceptance of such vehicles. Finally, for transport employment, caring and parenting responsibilities were the factors that had the largest effect. Some differences in priorities were found for different profiles of women. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mobility for Sustainable Societies: Challenges and Opportunities)
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