Identifying key research themes for sustainable urban mobility

ABSTRACT

A comparison of various research agendas for transport and sustainable development from the last two decades reveals a number of common themes that are just as important now as when they were first suggested. Although the research questions and approaches have changed, many key issues have remained relatively fixed. Key issues such as information and communications technology, urban space and scale, lifestyle and behavior, regulation and pricing, and institutions and governance persistently recur and seem likely to remain on the transport research and policy agendas for the foreseeable future. This article summarizes some of the key developments and opportunities related to these five research themes.

Acknowledgments

This collection of articles originated from an initiative by the European Metropolitan network Institute (EMI) to develop a strategic knowledge and research agenda on sustainable urban mobility (EMI, 2012). Position papers on five themes (intelligent transport systems, urban space and scale, regulation and pricing, lifestyle and behavior, and governance) were commissioned by EMI at the end of 2011 to provide an overview of key research findings and new directions for future research. Four of the five position papers were updated and revised for this special issue. The position paper on lifestyle and behavior was authored by Phil Goodwin, while the version that appears in this volume has been substantially reworked with the help of two additional authors: Veronique Van Acker and Frank Witlox. The position paper on intelligent transport systems does not appear in this special issue and has been replaced by a more general paper on the relationships between information and communications technology and urban mobility (authored by Galit Cohen-Blankshtain and Orit Rotem-Mindali). The author is grateful to EMI staff Wim Hafkamp, Ries Kamphof, Sietske Voorn, and Heleen Weening (who have all since moved on to new pastures) for their feedback during the production of the position papers and the EMI strategic knowledge and research agenda (EMI 2012) and for their encouragement to pursue this special issue.

Notes

¹ According to Hensher's acknowledgments.

² These nine types of policies comprise: land-use planning; pricing/taxation; infrastructure/mode management; technical improvements; telecommunications and technology; behavioral patterns; freight management (not shown in the classification scheme in Figure 1); information and public awareness; and general economic policies.

³ The two networks are the EU-funded STELLA thematic network (Sustainable Transport in Europe and Links and Liaisons with America) and the U.S. National Science Foundation–funded STAR network (Sustainable Transportation Analysis and Research).