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Sustainability
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Urban Smart Mobility and Public Transport: Opportunities, Challenges, and Planning
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Urban Smart Mobility and Public Transport: Opportunities, Challenges, and Planning

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 September 2025) | Viewed by 3586

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Waishan Qiu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Urban Planning and Design, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Interests: share mobility; micro-scale street environment; travel behavior; gender disparity
Dr. Faan Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
Interests: urban mobility; built environment and travel behavior; transport economics and policy; road safety and environment
Dr. Xiaoran Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture and Art, North China University of Technology, Beijing, China Centre for Design Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia
Interests: walkability; agent-based modeling; urban analytics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wenjing Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Spatial Information Science, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa-shi 277-0882, Chiba-ken, Japan
Interests: urban mobility; built environment; travel behavior

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human mobility infiltrates into various aspects of peoples’ daily life. Effective mobility solutions become increasingly important for improving the quality of life for residents, mitigating the negative impact of urbanization on the environment, and promoting sustainable urban development. Public transport is a crucial component of urban mobility, providing affordable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable transportation options for urban residents. The increasing demand for public transit poses significant challenges for urban planners and policymakers to improve transportation infrastructure, enhance public transport services, and encourage more sustainable modes of transportation.

Urban mobility and public transport are closely intertwined with spatiality. Urban mobility exhibits different spatial distribution characteristics. The spatial configuration of cities determines the human mobility of different neighborhoods and districts, as well as the availability of various transportation options. The scope of this Special Issue is to explore possible pathways that link “human mobility” and “public transport” with “spatiotemporal characteristics of the built environment”.

This Special Issue seeks to explore the latest developments and emerging trends in urban mobility and public transport, with a focus on their spatiality. We hope to bring together distinguished researchers from a variety of academic backgrounds to share their knowledge and experiences in addressing the complex challenges of urban mobility and public transport from the spatial perspective. We hope to collect new concepts, perspectives, analyses, theoretical methods, and case studies that contribute to the development of more sustainable and livable cities.

Original research and review articles covering all sorts of mobility modes at all spatial scales are welcome. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

  • Spatial distribution characteristics of human mobility and public transport;
  • The impacts spatial factors have on human mobility and transport systems;
  • Spatial data mining and machine learning for public transport systems;
  • Mobility networks and mobility geographical models;
  • Spatial data-driven modeling for design and planning of public transport systems;
  • Spatial practices and emerging trends of public transport planning and policy;
  • MaaS and public transport system integration;
  • Transit-oriented development;
  • Challenges and opportunities of urban mobility/public transport development.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Waishan Qiu
Dr. Faan Chen
Dr. Xiaoran Huang
Dr. Wenjing Li
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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

  • urban mobility
  • spatial pattern
  • spatial modeling
  • public transport
  • transit-oriented development
  • sustainable transportation
  • smart mobility
  • intelligent transport system

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 4539 KB  
Article
Underground Space Planning Optimization Under the TOD Model Using NSGA-II: A Case Study of Qingdaobei Railway Station and Its Surroundings
by Weiyan Kong, Wenhan Feng and Yimeng Liu
Sustainability 2025, 17(21), 9761; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219761 (registering DOI) - 1 Nov 2025
Abstract
Urbanization and the growing scarcity of surface land resources have highlighted the strategic importance of underground space as a critical component of sustainable urban infrastructure. This study presents a multi-objective optimization framework for underground infrastructure planning around transit hubs, aligning with the principles [...] Read more.
Urbanization and the growing scarcity of surface land resources have highlighted the strategic importance of underground space as a critical component of sustainable urban infrastructure. This study presents a multi-objective optimization framework for underground infrastructure planning around transit hubs, aligning with the principles of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). By integrating an agent-based model (ABM) with the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) and incorporating the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), the framework forms a unified evaluation and optimization tool that accounts for user behavior while addressing competing objectives, including minimizing evacuation time and functional conflicts, maximizing functional efficiency, and reducing layout deviations. Using Qingdaobei Railway Station in China as a case study, the method yields notable improvements: a 15% reduction in evacuation time, a 16% increase in development benefits, and a more balanced spatial configuration. Beyond technical gains, the study also discusses station planning and governance under the TOD policy context, highlighting how integrated layouts can alleviate congestion, strengthen functional synergy, and support sustainable urban development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Smart Mobility and Public Transport: Opportunities, Challenges, and Planning)
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32 pages, 33558 KB  
Article
Geo-Spatial Optimization and First and Last Mile Accessibility for Sustainable Urban Mobility in Bangkok, Thailand
by Sornkitja Boonprong, Pariwate Varnnakovida, Nawin Rinrat, Napatsorn Kaytakhob and Arinnat Kitsamai
Sustainability 2025, 17(21), 9653; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219653 - 30 Oct 2025
Viewed by 406
Abstract
Urban mobility in Bangkok is constrained by congestion, modal fragmentation, and gaps in First and Last Mile (FLM) access. This study develops a GIS-based framework that combines maximal-coverage location allocation with post-optimization accessibility diagnostics to inform intermodal hub siting. The network model compares [...] Read more.
Urban mobility in Bangkok is constrained by congestion, modal fragmentation, and gaps in First and Last Mile (FLM) access. This study develops a GIS-based framework that combines maximal-coverage location allocation with post-optimization accessibility diagnostics to inform intermodal hub siting. The network model compares one-, three-, and five-hub configurations using a 20 min coverage standard, and we conduct sensitivity tests at 15 and 25 min to assess robustness. Cumulative isochrones and qualitative overlays on BTS, MRT, SRT, Airport Rail Link, and principal water routes are used to interpret spatial balance, peripheral reach, and multimodal alignment. In the one-hub scenario, the model selects Pathum Wan as the optimal central node. Transitioning to a small multi-hub network improves geographic balance and reduces reliance on the urban core. The three-hub arrangement strengthens north–south accessibility but leaves the west bank comparatively underserved. The five-hub configuration is the most spatially balanced and network-consistent option, bridging the west bank and reinforcing rail interchange corridors while aligning proposed hubs with existing high-capacity lines and waterway anchors. Methodologically, the contribution is a transparent workflow that pairs coverage-based optimization with isochrone interpretation; substantively, the findings support decentralized, polycentric hub development as a practical pathway to enhance FLM connectivity within Bangkok’s current network structure. Key limitations include reliance on resident population weights that exclude floating or temporary populations, use of typical network conditions for travel times, a finite pre-screened candidate set, and the absence of explicit route choice and land-use intensity in the present phase. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Smart Mobility and Public Transport: Opportunities, Challenges, and Planning)
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12 pages, 684 KB  
Article
Public Transport Planning Using Modified Ant Colony Optimization
by Mariusz Korzeń and Maciej Kruszyna
Sustainability 2025, 17(6), 2468; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062468 - 11 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2187
Abstract
Planning sustainable public transport is a crucial aspect of the efficient performance of the entire transport network. This paper presents a method for planning public transport routes using modified ant colony optimization. The individual objective function is created, which determines the effort needed [...] Read more.
Planning sustainable public transport is a crucial aspect of the efficient performance of the entire transport network. This paper presents a method for planning public transport routes using modified ant colony optimization. The individual objective function is created, which determines the effort needed to cover the route. This function takes into account real-world parameters such as driving time, route length, delays, and attractiveness more dynamically and flexibly. The application of the tool is described using an example of one of the most energy-efficient means of transport. The results made it possible to reduce the effort needed for the same line by 11.5% compared to the current route. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Smart Mobility and Public Transport: Opportunities, Challenges, and Planning)
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