Development Trends of Sustainable Mobility

1. Introduction

The global effort toward sustainable development has underscored the urgent need to transform urban mobility and transportation systems. These networks are essential to the vitality and functionality of modern cities, but they also present significant challenges related to environmental degradation, resource consumption, social equity, and public safety [1]. As urban populations grow and cities expand, there is an increasing need to switch to more sustainable, efficient, and resilient transportation systems. This is a key part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda initiative [2]. This highlights the need for a comprehensive strategy that supports technological advancements, reevaluates existing infrastructure, optimizes logistics, and promotes a deeper understanding of users’ behavior and social aspirations. The compendium of research presented in this Special Issue offers a panoramic exploration of these interconnected themes, providing a critical perspective on current advancements and the upcoming challenges in the pursuit of sustainable transportation. Achieving this sustainable shift is a complex task that requires more than just the advent of new technologies. It calls for a paradigm shift in how we plan urban spaces, integrate various transport modes, and encourage behavioral change [3]. Scenarios and robust indicator frameworks are indispensable tools in this journey, aiding in the deconstruction of real-world intricacies and the formulation of evidence-based policies. Therefore, it is crucial for academics and practitioners to constantly and critically evaluate these instruments to ensure they remain effective and relevant in shaping our urban futures. This collection of papers bravely enters this arena, offering diverse perspectives and critical insights.

2. Synopsis of Contributions

The foundation of effective mobility planning often requires an understanding of the complex relationship between urban form and movement patterns. De Vincentis et al. (2022) (Contribution 1) highlighted this with a data-driven analysis of mobility and the built environment across three Italian cities: Brescia, Catania, and Salerno. They utilized floating car data (FCD) and census information to map accessibility metrics, illustrating the effects of different urban layouts and street network characteristics on traffic flow, travel efficiency, and the daily experiences of urban residents. These insights are crucial for developing integrated transportation and land use strategies.

Through a bibliometric analysis of 2000 articles from 2018 to 2023, İnce (2025) (contribution 2) systematically mapped the emerging trends and innovative solutions in sustainable urban mobility. This comprehensive review identified dominant themes, such as smart mobility and technology integration, and highlighted emerging research advances, including the crucial links between transportation, public health, and urban walkability. The importance of sustainable modes of transportation, such as cycling, cannot be overstated. Ahmed et al. (2024) (Contribution 3) conducted a systematic review of bicycle infrastructure design principles within urban bikeability indices. They critically assessed whether current indices adequately incorporate the five core principles of safety, comfort, attractiveness, directness, and coherence. They found that, although bicycle infrastructure is a common evaluative component, the principle of “coherence” is often the least considered. This points to a vital area for improvement in planning truly bicycle-friendly cities.

The evolution of cities is coupled with the progress of the technological landscape of transportation, particularly with the rise of electromobility. The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) raises questions about infrastructure and the economy. Alrubaie et al. (2023) (Contribution 4) offered a comprehensive review of EV charging stations integrated with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. They considered market dynamics, technical specifications, grid implications, and future challenges. They concluded that PV-grid charging holds promise for profitability and reduced carbon footprints. However, its cost-effectiveness can be constrained by PV and battery capacities, as well as the inherent intermittency of solar power. In addition, Bozhi et al. (2023) (Contribution 5) explored the new realm of wireless pavement systems based on inductive power transfer (IPT) for electric vehicles (EVs). The authors investigated the key parameters affecting pavement inductivity and conductivity, including IPT pad materials and coil dimensions. Their work highlights the significance of balancing power transfer efficiency with pavement durability through optimized geometry and material science.

The financial viability and public acceptance of such advanced charging infrastructure were further explored by Kim et al. (2023) (Contribution 6). They investigated South Korean households’ willingness to pay for interactive charging stations facilitating vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems. Their survey of 1000 respondents revealed that most households were willing to financially support V2G infrastructure, an initiative that holds promises in improving grid stability by using EVs as distributed energy storage, which is essential for integrating various renewable energy sources and promoting electric vehicle-sharing solutions [4].

Beyond electrification, the rise of autonomous and shared mobility services is poised to transform urban transit. However, their success depends significantly on user perception and acceptance. Kashani et al. (2023) (Contribution 7) investigated parents’ opinions in Kerman, Iran, considering shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) for their children’s school travel. Their findings revealed a complex interplay of socioeconomic factors, past travel experiences, and psychological factors such as perceived usefulness, environmental concerns, and safety assurances, including the ability to monitor their children. Viejo et al. (2025) (Contribution 8) focused on how novel transportation systems will address various needs. In their study, 147 citizens from five European countries engaged in a co-creation dialogue, and the results revealed a collective vision for the future of autonomous mobility: electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles that significantly rely on shared services, such as autonomous buses and e-hailing pods, rather than private vehicle ownership.

The implications of transportation trends need to extend to regional development and global logistics networks. Letnik et al. (2024) (Contribution 9) offered a forward-looking perspective from the business sector on the impact of transportation trends on sustainability in the Western Balkans. Their survey of transportation and logistics experts suggests that, although trends such as alternative fuels and smart city initiatives will likely reduce emissions and accidents, these trends will also pose economic challenges due to increased operational costs and the need for significant infrastructure investments. On a broader scale, Madanat et al. (2024) (Contribution 10) examined the drivers of port competitiveness in low-, upper-, and high-income countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Their structural equation modeling revealed that, while national competitiveness and ease of doing business generally bolster port competitiveness, the dynamics can differ significantly with income levels. For instance, increased national competitiveness in low-income countries might divert resources from port development, thereby diminishing their maritime competitiveness if not managed strategically.

3. Sustainable Mobility Challenges: Future Trends

This collection of diverse contributions depicts a sector that is facing a profound transition. It is a field that is technologically innovative yet faces significant socioeconomic and environmental challenges. As we navigate this evolving landscape, the critical assessments, innovative proposals, and forward-thinking perspectives offered by these researchers are key to guiding us toward sustainable, resilient, equitable, inclusive, and life-enhancing transportation systems for all urban communities. Recent comprehensive reviews confirm this collective shift, highlighting critical areas ranging from modeling post-pandemic travel behavior to the realization of “X-minute” cities [5]. Nevertheless, a well-defined and definitive plan is yet to materialize.

The forthcoming era of mobility will be characterized by several interconnected and challenging frontiers. A primary challenge remains: the persistent disparity between planning and implementation. Although strategic plans such as sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs) exist, they consistently encounter political, financial, and institutional hurdles in the real world. Even leading examples of best practice, e.g., Copenhagen, illustrate that translating strategy into practice is an ongoing process of negotiation and adaptation. This emphasizes that even the most brilliant plan depends on its execution [6]. This implementation gap is intrinsically linked to a frequently underestimated factor: the human workforce. The transition to a digitized, sustainable transportation sector requires a parallel evolution in skills and competencies. Demographic, cultural, and socioeconomic shifts are fundamentally reshaping transportation jobs. This requires a proactive strategy for workforce development to ensure the necessary human capital for future mobility systems [7]. The digital revolution is reshaping not only how people move but also the flow of goods within urban areas. The disruptive technologies transforming passenger transport are also evident in the freight sector, where digitalization and automation ensure a redefinition of logistics, from last-mile delivery to urban consolidation centers. Therefore, a truly sustainable urban system must address the symbiotic association between personal mobility and freight transportation as an integrated whole [8]. Navigating the immense complexity of policy execution, human capital, and the convergence of passenger and freight logistics requires a new approach. The increasing dependence on simulation, optimization, and machine learning cannot be considered simply an academic pursuit; it is essential for designing, testing, and managing resilient and adaptive transportation systems in a world filled with uncertainty [9]. However, one of the most defining challenges is the inherent uncertainty about the future. The evolution of transformative concepts such as mobility as a service (MaaS) is not predetermined but contested, with multiple plausible futures ranging from closed “mobility walled gardens” dominated by a few large platforms to more open and collaborative ecosystems. Thus, exploring these potential futures through co-design and scenario-planning methodologies becomes a vital strategic imperative. These methodologies empower stakeholders to anticipate challenges and collaboratively shape desirable outcomes rather than merely reacting to change [10].

Collectively, the contributions presented in this Special Issue serve as milestone reference points, underscoring the fact that the objective is not solely the efficient and clean transportation of people and goods. The real task is to facilitate a complex, systemic transition that is technologically innovative, politically viable, and, above all, socially just. The objective is to shape urban environments that are not only smarter but also wiser, more equitable, and more profoundly human.