Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVARs) Applications for Sustainable Urban Mobility

Dear Colleagues,

The large increase in mobility, coupled with the excessive use of private vehicles, has severe negative impacts on urban environments, including air and noise pollution, space occupation, and traffic accidents. To mitigate these challenges, the EU’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport highlights that Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVARs)—such as low- and zero-emission zones, congestion charges, restricted traffic areas, and some parking regulations—can help cities comply with EU air quality standards, alleviate congestion, and improve road safety, thereby promoting Sustainable Urban Mobility. UVARs are typically based on vehicle emission class, type of user, or vehicle.

From a legal standpoint, the implementation of UVARs is entrusted to municipal authorities (frequently guided by national or regional authorities). However, their planning, implementation, and management present significant challenges, as these measures have wide-ranging impacts on mobility, the environment, urban livability, and social equity, sometimes beyond the physical perimeter of the UVARs. Furthermore, the implementation of UVARs often requires significant data collection on transportation supply and demand, traffic patterns, and air quality—as well as the deployment of advanced technologies, such as vehicle identification systems, traffic control centers, and access and on-street parking management systems. These technological and resource demands sometimes exceed the capabilities of local governments. Therefore, advancing knowledge on best practices and methodologies for the efficient design and management of UVARs is a critical and timely priority in the pursuit of sustainable urban mobility.

In this context, and in order to enhance the efficiency and user-friendliness of UVARs, the EU introduced a series of regulations, including Regulation 2018/1724 on the Single Digital Gateway, which requires public authorities to provide road users with information on traffic rules and procedures, and Regulation 2022/670, which mandates the provision of real-time traffic information services. Additionally, several projects have been developed or are currently underway, such as UVARBox, UVARExchange, and Civitas-ReveAL. Nevertheless, the implementation of UVARs remains a process to be optimized to maximize their societal benefits, and further research is essential. Therefore, this Special Issue, entitled "Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVARs) Applications for Sustainable Urban Mobility", aims to explore current policies and practices in this field, as well as to propose advanced methodologies and policy guidelines for their effective design and management. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Recommendations for the implementation of UVAR restrictive measures, whether simple or complex.
• Impacts of UVARs on mobility, the environment, the economy, and society.
• Territorial scale and border effects of UVARs.
• Mobility alternatives to compensate for UVAR restrictions, including improvements in public transport, intermodality, and active mobility.
• Public space reallocation and road sharing.
• Practical applications of UVARs, including low emission zones, zero emission zones, etc.
• UVAR and livability.
• The role and effectiveness of technologies for UVAR implementation and enforcement.
• Digitalization of UVAR data.
• UVARs and smart cities.
• UVARs: socio-spatial inequalities, equity concerns, vulnerable population groups.
• Public acceptance and citizen involvement in UVAR policies.
• Subsidies for public transport and cleaner vehicles.
• Sustainable urban logistics.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Francisco J. Calvo
Dr. Oxana Tchepel
Dr. Susana da Costa Freiria
Guest Editors

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• sustainable urban mobility
• urban vehicle access regulations
• low emission zones
• zero emission zones
• transport externalities in cities