scholarly journals Development of a biking index for measuring Mediterranean cities mobility

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
L. Ros-McDonnell ◽  
M.V. De-la-Fuente ◽  
D. Ros-McDonnell ◽  
M. Cardós
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Mobility Index ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Motorized Vehicles

<p>The European Union, its member states and local authorities have been working for long time on the design of solutions for future sustainable mobility. The promotion of a sustainable and affordable urban transport contemplates the bicycle as a mean of transport. The reasons for analysing the cycling mobility in urban areas, has its origin in the confrontation with motorized vehicles, as a sustainable response to the environment. In this context of sustainable mobility, the research team has studied the use of bicycles in Mediterranean cities, specifically in coastal tourist areas.  The present work shows the development of a mobility index oriented to the bicycle, transport that competes with the private vehicle. By means of a survey methodology, the research group proceeded to collect field data and the subsequent analysis of them, for the development of a mobility index adapted to bicycle mobility, and with possibilities to adapt to urban environments.</p>

scholarly journals The Post Pandemic City: Challenges and Opportunities for a Non-Motorized Urban Environment. An Overview of Italian Cases

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 7172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Barbarossa
Keyword(s):  
Urban Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Green Revolution ◽  
Mobility Model ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
World Health ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
The World

COVID-19 has forced city governments to reconsider the relationship between mobility, urban space and health in order to ensure physical distancing while meeting the travel needs of inhabitants. Therefore, cities around the world are already involved in the transformation of mobility through new models of sustainable transport. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on mobility during the COVID outbreak are mostly directed at creating more spaces for cyclists and pedestrians, especially in densely populated urban areas, thus avoiding the overloading of public transport and the use of private cars. Through the analysis of the programs set up by the 10 main Italian metropolitan cities, chosen as a case study, this research evaluates the response implemented by local governments in order to transform urban environments in one of the world’s most pandemic-affected countries in detail. Starting from the current mobility model, this paper focuses on local government policies concerning post-COVID sustainable mobility to understand policies, approaches and measures in depth, as well as the effectiveness of the ongoing actions in shaping future urban mobility. From the research, an almost homogeneous awareness among policy makers and planners emerges concerning the need to rethink urban spaces and mobility, to make up for lost time and to start a green revolution that is aimed at quickly decarbonizing urban transport and enhancing cycling and walking through the city.

scholarly journals Situation Analysis of Policies for Electric Mobility Development: Experience from Five European Regions

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2935
Author(s):  
Kamile Petrauskiene ◽  
Jolanta Dvarioniene ◽  
Giedrius Kaveckis ◽  
Daina Kliaugaite ◽  
Julie Chenadec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
High Energy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Regions ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Charging Infrastructure ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
Information And Communication

The decarbonization of the mobility and energy sector is one of the major necessary trends for achieving targets set for the European Union (EU) in the 2020 and 2030 climate and energy frameworks. Two key technologies which offer great potential for climate change mitigation are electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energies (REs). Thus, there is the need for innovative and stable policies in order to favor these technologies. The purpose of the study is to identify and compare features of policies for the integration of EVs, REs, and information and communication technology (ICT). This study uses an integrated Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT), and Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal (PESTEL) qualitative methodology in order to show different policies and initiatives, related to e-mobility, RE and ICT, collected from five European regions. This research provides discernments to the EVs and RE challenges, such as the lack of capacity to deal with high energy demands or limited EV-charging infrastructure. On the contrary, a high percentage of REs share, raising climate change awareness, and decreasing EV prices which are great opportunities for the whole EU. Such insights encourage policymakers and other groups of interest to improve their RE and mobility policies, which could lead to effective sustainable mobility systems in urban areas.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Reduction of CO2 Emissions in Urban Environments by Replacing Conventional City Buses by Electric Bus Fleets: Spain Case Study

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edwin R. Grijalva ◽  
José María López Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Cost Of Energy ◽  
Electric Bus

The emissions of CO2 gas caused by transport in urban areas are increasingly serious, and the public transport sector plays a vital role in society, especially when considering the increased demands for mobility. New energy technologies in urban mobility are being introduced, as evidenced by the electric vehicle. We evaluated the positive environmental effects in terms of CO2 emissions that would be produced by the replacement of conventional urban transport bus fleets by electric buses. The simulation of an electric urban bus conceptual model is presented as a case study. The model is validated using the speed and height profiles of the most representative route within the city of Madrid—the C1 line. We assumed that the vehicle fleet is charged using the electric grid at night, when energy demand is low, the cost of energy is low, and energy is produced with a large provision of renewable energy, principally wind power. For the results, we considered the percentage of fleet replacement and the Spanish electricity mix. The analysis shows that by gradually replacing the current fleet of buses by electric buses over 10 years (2020 to 2030), CO2 emissions would be reduced by up to 92.6% compared to 2018 levels.

scholarly journals Linking Sustainable Urban Development With Town Planning Through Proximity Trade

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 121
Author(s):  
Jose Manuel Diaz-Sarachaga
Keyword(s):  
Urban Development ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Policy ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Town Planning ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Urban Fabric ◽  
Commercial Activities ◽  
Motorized Vehicles

Losses from commercial activities reflect the decline and deterioration of the downtown, the urban fabric and the social structure of the cities. The dependence on motorized vehicles has grown significantly among consumers who must move to meet their daily needs. Such a process marginalizes vulnerable populations by promoting urban lifestyles less sustainable. Proximity trade is therefore becoming increasingly important for those groups because it encourages dynamism among distinct urban areas and reduces the use of vehicles. This urban model addresses a relevant issue as universal accessibility that allows residents to enjoy an available city and move freely without encountering obstacles. The major role played by trade in the creation of wealth and urban fabric demands the integration of commercial areas provisions into urban policy guidelines. In this context, the study aims at developing a set of indicators that link proximity trade with the promotion of sustainable urban development and the model of compact city to be included in Spanish urban planning guidelines. Sixteen indicators were thus formulated around five areas of action: urban morphology, urban complexity, sustainable mobility, urban metabolism and social cohesion.

scholarly journals Smart-Mobility Services for Climate Mitigation in Urban Areas: Case Studies of Baltic Countries and Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4127
Author(s):  
Gabriele Cepeliauskaite ◽  
Benno Keppner ◽  
Zivile Simkute ◽  
Zaneta Stasiskiene ◽  
Leon Leuser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Baltic Countries ◽  
Smart Mobility ◽  
Negative Environmental Impact

The transport sector is one of the largest contributors of CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases. In order to achieve the Paris goal of decreasing the global average temperature by 2 °C, urgent and transformative actions in urban mobility are required. As a sub-domain of the smart-city concept, smart-mobility-solutions integration at the municipal level is thought to have environmental, economic and social benefits, e.g., reducing air pollution in cities, providing new markets for alternative mobility and ensuring universal access to public transportation. Therefore, this article aims to analyze the relevance of smart mobility in creating a cleaner environment and provide strategic and practical examples of smart-mobility services in four European cities: Berlin (Germany), Kaunas (Lithuania), Riga (Latvia) and Tartu (Estonia). The paper presents a systematized literature review about the potential of smart-mobility services in reducing the negative environmental impact to urban environments in various cities. The authors highlight broad opportunities from the European Union and municipal documents for smart-mobility initiatives. The theoretical part is supplemented by socioeconomic and environmental descriptions, as well as experience, related to smart-mobility services in the four cities selected.

scholarly journals On the Environmental and Social Sustainability of Urban Bus Transport Practices: The EU Case

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina López ◽  
Rocío Ruíz-Benítez ◽  
Carmen Vargas-Machuca
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Hierarchical Structures ◽  
Social Sustainability ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Urban Bus ◽  
Bus Transport

Logistics in urban areas are currently suffering a radical transformation due to increasingly population concentration and the massive use of cars as the preferred transport mode. These issues have resulted in higher pollution levels in urban environments and traffic congestion impacting the world globally. Facilitating the use of sustainable transport modes is widely regarded as a necessity to cope with these adverse effects on citizens&rsquo; life quality. Hence, some regions, as the European Union, are encouraging bus transport firms to make their business models more environmentally and socially sustainable. The aim of this research is thus to explore how practices adopted by urban bus companies can improve cities&rsquo; sustainability. With this in mind, a combined Importance Performance Analysis (IPA)-Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was applied. In this way, both environmental and social sustainability effects of developed practices were represented through hierarchical structures separately. Subsequently, importance and performance ratings of practices in each sustainability dimension were estimated, and thus two IPA grids were generated. These grids support managers in the establishment of more effective action plans to improve logistics sustainability in cities. Findings also provide guidance to governments on the practices that should be promoted in future urban mobility plans.

scholarly journals Going carless in different urban fabrics: socio-demographics of household car ownership

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. E. Karjalainen ◽  
M. Tiitu ◽  
J. Lyytimäki ◽  
V. Helminen ◽  
P. Tapio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Transportation ◽  
Urban Form ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
National Level ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Neighborhood Density ◽  
Car Ownership ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Demographic Profiles ◽  
Residential Distance

AbstractDiverse physical features of urban areas alongside socio-demographic characteristics affect car ownership, and hence the daily mobility choices. As a case of sustainable mobility, we explore how various urban environments and socio-demographics associate with the spatial and social distribution of household car ownership and carlessness in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Finland. Three urban fabrics characterizing the study area are established based on the transportation mode (walking, public transportation, or automobile) the physical urban environment primarily supports. The national level Monitoring System of Spatial Structure and Urban Form database, and the National Travel Survey (2016) are utilized to further include spatial and socio-demographic variables into our analysis across these fabrics. Our results show that households with and without cars differ in terms of residential distance to the city center, neighborhood density, house type, and socio-demographic profiles. Single pensioners and students are most likely to be carless, whereas families represent the opposite. Within the carless households the differences are also evident between different groups. For the more affluent households residing in dense and well-connected areas, and mostly possessing driver’s licenses, carlessness is presumably a choice. Contrarily, many other carless households represent the less affluent often located in the more distant, low-density, and less accessible areas, while also possessing less driver’s licenses, making carlessness more of a constraint, as the local urban fabric does not support such lifestyle. Consequently, carless households should be increasingly recognized as a focus group in sustainable urban planning in terms of identifiable best practices and potential vulnerability.

scholarly journals Porous Concrete for Pedestrian Pavements

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2105
Author(s):  
Laura Moretti ◽  
Paola Di Mascio ◽  
Ciro Fusco
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Urban Heat Islands ◽  
Concrete Pavements ◽  
Porous Concrete ◽  
Heat Islands ◽  
Weather Patterns ◽  
Compressive And Flexural Strengths ◽  
Precipitation Changes ◽  
Motorized Vehicles

Changes in weather patterns directly impact urban transport infrastructures. The increase in temperature and the ongoing precipitation changes should be handled and managed more frequently. In urban areas, most of the soil is impermeable and water hardly infiltrates into the subsoil. Permeable pavement is a technology that helps mitigate the effects of urban heat islands and surface impermeabilization. Porous concrete for pedestrian pavements ensures good structural, functional, and environmental performances. A pervious concrete mix differs from a conventional one in terms of the gradation of aggregates, namely, a lack of fine aggregates. The material porosity (on average 20%) causes compressive and flexural strengths lower than those of traditional concrete. The material is suitable for low-load pavements where the passage of motorized vehicles is forbidden or occasional. The pavement can be laid either monolithically or modularly, using two operating systems: returning water to underground aquifers and reducing runoff. The latter is the most frequently adopted in urban areas, where pedestrian and interdicted to motorized vehicle areas form a continuous and distributed network. In a common urban quarter, where 80% of the surface is impermeable, porous concrete pavements could cover up to 6% of the surface and provide architectural and aesthetic value for the environment.

scholarly journals Assessing the Performance of Modal Interchange for Ensuring Seamless and Sustainable Mobility in European Cities

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 1001
Author(s):  
Elisa Conticelli ◽  
Gianluca Gobbi ◽  
Paula Isabella Saavedra Rosas ◽  
Simona Tondelli
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Congestion ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Noise Pollution ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Design Solutions ◽  
Reduction Of Co2

In the European Union, more than 70% of the population lives in urban areas. Achieving more efficient and low-carbon mobility is crucial to ensuring urban systems are sustainable and tackling important challenges, such as reduction of CO2 emissions, air and noise pollution, and traffic congestion. Identifying effective strategies and design solutions that boost multimodal mobility and effective interchange among different sustainable means of transport can be a significant contribution in this area. This paper presents an easy-to-use methodology to assess the performance of policy measures and design solutions-oriented to foster modal interchange, with special regard to the configuration of the interchange hubs. The methodology is based on identifying key factors necessary to ensure an efficient multimodal interchange and the different types of interchanges that are frequently present in the urban realm. By grouping the key factors into nine different domains, and by weighing the key factors in relation to their importance, the methodology creates a decision support system to assess the performance of the current interchange, as well as of different planning and design scenarios. This methodology has been developed in the framework of the Interreg Europe MATCH-UP project and is conceived to support both designers and decision-makers whenever they have to reorganise existing transport hubs and policies, or design and plan new ones.

scholarly journals Data Envelopment Analysis for Determining the Efficiency of Variant Solutions for Traffic Flow Organisation

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-353
Author(s):  
Damir Budimir ◽  
Marko Šoštarić ◽  
Krešimir Vidović
Keyword(s):  
Data Envelopment Analysis ◽  
Traffic Flow ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Peak Load ◽  
Urban Transport ◽  
Transport Network ◽  
Data Envelopment ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Dea Method

There is a small number of empirical modelling study cases available that are related to the calculation of variant solutions efficiency from the aspect of sustainable mobility in the urban areas. In practice, it is often necessary - especially when it comes to the urban transport network - to evaluate the solutions for traffic flow organisation and routing, in order to implement the one(s) with the maximum potential to reduce the possibility of congestion during peak travelling periods i.e. during transport network peak load. The paper presents an approach to the aforementioned problem by the application of the transport system efficiency analysis. The aspect of traffic flow organisation and routing efficiency in variant solutions is clarified through the analysis model development, built on the premises of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method and the principles of unnecessary traffic flow intersections (TFI) theory. The proposed model defines the efficiency limit for data attributed to variant solutions, based on the calculation of the optimal TFI model and the possibilities of DEA method that include comparison and definition of relative routing efficiency for every optional traffic flow against the efficiency limit (optimal model) in order to calculate relative efficiency in relation to other solutions.

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