Sustainable Transportation and Quality of Life

A special issue of Future Transportation (ISSN 2673-7590).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026 | Viewed by 1441

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Campus of Azurem, University of Minho, 4800-052 Guimaraes, Portugal
Interests: sustainable transportation; smart cities; socially inclusive transportation; human factors and interaction

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Guest Editor
CSIR–Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), New Delhi, India
Interests: sustainable transport planning; non-motorized transport; school zone safety; vehicular pollution estimation

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Guest Editor
Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI, USA
Interests: human–automation interaction; automotive human factors; affective computing

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland
Interests: sustainable urban mobility; shared transport systems; micromobility; open innovation in transport

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The relationship between transport and quality of life is becoming increasingly significant as urbanization accelerates, mobility needs evolve, and sustainability becomes central to global policy agendas. This Special Issue of Future Transportation is dedicated to exploring how transportation systems—when designed with foresight, inclusivity, and innovation—can enhance individual well-being, social equity, environmental sustainability, and urban livability.

Our contributors, drawn from diverse disciplines and regions, present a rich tapestry of perspectives that span the theoretical, empirical, and applied dimensions of the transport–quality of life nexus. The articles herein will delve into topics such as active and accessible mobility, smart transportation technologies, public transport equity, mobility-as-a-service (MaaS), and their implications for health, social connectedness, economic opportunity, and environmental resilience.

At the heart of this Special Issue is a call to rethink transport not merely as a means of movement, but as a powerful enabler of better living. By shifting the focus from infrastructure to impact, from efficiency to equity, and from mobility to meaning, this collection aims to inspire policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to adopt more human-centered, inclusive, and future-ready transportation strategies.

We are grateful to our authors for their thought-provoking contributions, and to the reviewers for their insightful feedback and support in maintaining the high standards of this journal. We also extend our thanks to the editorial team of Future Transportation for their continued commitment to advancing research that shapes a more connected, sustainable, and equitable world.

We hope this Special Issue stimulates dialogue and action that helps reimagine the role of transport in creating cities and communities where quality of life is not a privilege, but a shared priority.

Key topics will include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Urban mobility and quality of life;
  • Sustainable transport;
  • Public transport;
  • Active travel modes;
  • Non-motorized transport (NMT)—walkability and cycling;
  • Inclusive, equitable, and accessible transport;
  • Transit-oriented development (TOD);
  • Smart mobility;
  • Mobility-as-a-service (MaaS);
  • Transport and health;
  • Commute satisfaction;
  • Environmental impact;
  • Human-centered design;
  • Urban livability;
  • Social inclusion;
  • Travel behavior;
  • Transport policy and design.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ankit R. Patel
Dr. Mukti Advani
Dr. Areen Alsaid
Dr. Katarzyna Turon
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. Future Transportation is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1200 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
  • transport
  • quality of life
  • urban livability

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1233 KB  
Article
Developing a Framework for the Sustainability Assessment of Urban Transportation and Its Implementation
by Zaheer Abbas, Amer Aziz and Rizwan Hameed
Future Transp. 2025, 5(4), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/futuretransp5040147 - 17 Oct 2025
Viewed by 333
Abstract
A sustainability appraisal framework helps to ensure the smooth sailing of various activities in transportation departments. A well-developed and flexible framework can serve as a primary tool for the evaluation of tasks in transportation departments. In this study, a framework for the sustainability [...] Read more.
A sustainability appraisal framework helps to ensure the smooth sailing of various activities in transportation departments. A well-developed and flexible framework can serve as a primary tool for the evaluation of tasks in transportation departments. In this study, a framework for the sustainability appraisal of urban transportation is developed and its implementation is presented as a case study. As the transportation sector is placed within a wider context of sustainable development, the framework is based on a holistic approach considering transportation from a sustainable development perspective. The approach adopted for the implementation of the framework involves all stakeholders, including transportation departments and the community, in planning, decision-making, and bringing opportunities to guide the community and shape collective behaviors. By defining context-specific goals, objectives, inputs, and outcome variables, which inclusively represent sustainable development, the framework will be effectively utilized. The framework will also be useful to guide transportation departments to polish their vision, in addition to making policies, designing methodologies, and implementing measurement and monitoring systems for attaining the desired state of sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transportation and Quality of Life)
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14 pages, 1407 KB  
Article
The Impact of Smart Stops on the Accessibility and Safety of Public Transport Users
by Ronald Rivera-Coloma, Viviana Cajas-Cajas, José Llamuca-Llamuca and Carlos Oleas-Lara
Future Transp. 2025, 5(4), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/futuretransp5040131 - 1 Oct 2025
Viewed by 487
Abstract
Bus stops in Riobamba had significant deficiencies in safety, accessibility, and comfort, which limited the effective use of public transport and affected the urban mobility of the population. Improving these conditions was crucial to promote sustainable, inclusive and safe mobility in the city. [...] Read more.
Bus stops in Riobamba had significant deficiencies in safety, accessibility, and comfort, which limited the effective use of public transport and affected the urban mobility of the population. Improving these conditions was crucial to promote sustainable, inclusive and safe mobility in the city. This study was quantitative and descriptive, based on 420 user surveys and the direct observation of 140 stops, complemented with georeferencing and comparative review of specialized literature. The findings showed that most of the stops lacked adequate lighting, shelter, signage and universal access, with 68% of users perceiving low safety. The most in-demand technologies included real-time information systems (72%) and video surveillance (65%). The proposed model of smart stops will improve accessibility, safety and comfort for users, encouraging greater use of public transport. By addressing the main infrastructure and technology gaps, the intervention contributed to inclusive and safe urban mobility, directly contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 11 and offering a replicable framework for other medium-sized cities seeking to optimize their public transport systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transportation and Quality of Life)
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