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17 pages, 815 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Case Study of the Sustainable Mobility Problem–Solution Paradox: Motility and Access of Metrorail Commuters in the Western Cape

by Zinette Bergman and Manfred Max Bergman

Sustainability 2019, 11(10), 2842; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11102842 - 18 May 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4361

Abstract

Public transport in general and passenger trains in particular are often advertised as solutions to mobility challenges due to their relatively low carbon footprint, high commuter load, high public safety, and contribution to reduced road congestion. But, how do these advantages apply to [...] Read more.

Public transport in general and passenger trains in particular are often advertised as solutions to mobility challenges due to their relatively low carbon footprint, high commuter load, high public safety, and contribution to reduced road congestion. But, how do these advantages apply to contexts characterized by inequality, poverty, and exclusion, and where train infrastructure is underdeveloped and poorly maintained? In this study, we examine the imaginaries and their associated transport predispositions of Metrorail users in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Based on 31 interviews conducted with Metrorail users, we explored how they conceptualize access to and use of mobility. The conceptual framework for this is provided by the Motility concept as developed by Kaufmann, Bergman, and Joye. Findings show that the context and culture defining the daily lives of Metrorail users reflect a reality, which is far removed from the way we theorize sustainable mobility. The limitations of spatial and social inequality, which create the mobility boundaries of Motility for these commuters, reveal a significant gap between their lives and the policies aimed to foster our sustainable mobility future. Despite this, the commuters of our study are highly mobile, and we end this article with an attempt to align these conflicting domains of dysfunctional contexts, mobility practices, and sustainability ideals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Mobility and Transportation)

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15 pages, 812 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Health-Oriented Tourism Contribute to Sustainable Mobility?

by Philipp Schlemmer, Cornelia Blank, Bartosz Bursa, Markus Mailer and Martin Schnitzer

Sustainability 2019, 11(9), 2633; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092633 - 8 May 2019

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4300

Abstract

Previous research has concentrated on traffic and health-related effects in relation to arrival patterns (e.g., stress in connection with means of transport, travel distance, and time). However, tourist mobility behavior during a vacation and potential health-related associations as well as its correlation with [...] Read more.

Previous research has concentrated on traffic and health-related effects in relation to arrival patterns (e.g., stress in connection with means of transport, travel distance, and time). However, tourist mobility behavior during a vacation and potential health-related associations as well as its correlation with physical activity habits and mobility patterns at home seems to have barely been examined. To address this research gap, the study at hand applied a mixed-method approach in three tourism destinations in Tyrol, Austria. The study examined tourists’ mobility as well as their physical activity at home and at the holiday destination. Results show that the preferred transport mode (arrival and on-site) is the private car, due to its flexibility and comfort. Hotel front desks, as the main information source, determine tourists’ behavioral aspects during a vacation. General mobility routines show differences between everyday life and holiday situations, and physical activity is important for the overall satisfaction of tourists, which proves to be more intense and frequent during a vacation than in everyday life. Seven percent of the tourists participating in the research stated that they had changed their daily mobility behavior after their return, with most of them walking or cycling more often. This study contributes to research in the field of sustainable tourist mobility and physical activity behavior and highlights the necessity for further specific analyses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Mobility and Transportation)

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15 pages, 1399 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Motorcycle Drivers’ Parking Lot Choice Behaviors in Developing Countries: Analysis to Identify Influence Factors

by Phuc Hai Hoang, Shengchuan Zhao and Siv Eng Houn

Sustainability 2019, 11(9), 2463; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11092463 - 26 Apr 2019

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4622

Abstract

Drivers’ behaviors to look for a parking space are affected by numerous influence factors, and there are differences between motorcycle drivers and other drivers, such as car drivers and truck drivers. In many developing countries, motorcycles dominate urban transportation, and it is essential [...] Read more.

Drivers’ behaviors to look for a parking space are affected by numerous influence factors, and there are differences between motorcycle drivers and other drivers, such as car drivers and truck drivers. In many developing countries, motorcycles dominate urban transportation, and it is essential to assess the impact of motorcycle drivers’ parking choice behavior as a solution to reduce the effect on traffic flow. This study identified the influence factors of motorcycle drivers’ parking lot choice models in a developing country, Viet Nam. Data were collected in a motorcycle dependent city, Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City, typically. A stated preference (SP) survey was designed and collected 318 answers from motorcycle drivers. Various discrete choice models under the assumption of random utility maximizations (RUM), which included the mixed logit model, multinomial logit model, and nested logit model, were employed to evaluate the influence factors on motorcycle drivers’ parking choice behavior models. The results showed that the mixed logit model fit with the data. Parking fee, walking distance, the capacity of the parking lot, and queuing time have significant effects on parking lot choice modeling. However, navigation and street sign variables showed a lesser effect on the choices of motorcycle users. This study towards parking planning solution for motorcycles and the author expects that it would be helpful to further study on the parking lot in developing countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Mobility and Transportation)

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14 pages, 631 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Mobility at Thirty

by Erling Holden, Geoffrey Gilpin and David Banister

Sustainability 2019, 11(7), 1965; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11071965 - 2 Apr 2019

Cited by 78 | Viewed by 9978

Abstract

It is now almost three decades since the concept of ‘sustainable mobility’ first appeared in the 1992 EU Green Paper on the Impact of Transport on the Environment. This paper reviews the literature and reflects on how societies’ understanding and interpretation of [...] Read more.

It is now almost three decades since the concept of ‘sustainable mobility’ first appeared in the 1992 EU Green Paper on the Impact of Transport on the Environment. This paper reviews the literature and reflects on how societies’ understanding and interpretation of the concept of sustainable mobility has evolved. We track this evolution over six dimensions: research and policy, transport impacts and categories, scientific disciplines, methodological approach, and research questions. From this review we assert that the mainstream understanding and interpretation of sustainable mobility can be grouped into four generations of studies. The first generation of studies (1992–1993) were techno-centric and focused on how to limit transport’s negative environmental impacts by improving then-existing technology. The second, third and fourth generations of studies (1993–2000, 2000–2010 and 2010–2018 respectively) increasingly acknowledge the limitations of preceding efforts to achieve sustainable mobility, and open for a more diverse set of alternatives. These studies have gradually become more interdisciplinary in nature—reflecting the inter-relatedness of mobility with all other aspects of society. We conclude that despite the ensuing elevation of mobility into the holistic picture society, we still have not achieved a sustainable mobility system. Furthermore, what is much needed now, more than ever, is a bold set of new narratives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Mobility and Transportation)

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16 pages, 272 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Should All Cars Be Electric by 2025? The Electric Car Debate in Europe

by Nathalie Ortar and Marianne Ryghaug

Sustainability 2019, 11(7), 1868; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11071868 - 28 Mar 2019

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 35232

Abstract

The car is still the most common mode of transport in Western countries, particularly so across the European Union, as it accounts for about two-thirds of daily commuting. So far, measures aiming to reduce automobile traffic and incentives for the modal shift to [...] Read more.

The car is still the most common mode of transport in Western countries, particularly so across the European Union, as it accounts for about two-thirds of daily commuting. So far, measures aiming to reduce automobile traffic and incentives for the modal shift to public transport and non-polluting methods of travel (walking, cycling, etc.) have had little effect. Moreover, the car lies at the core of a very complex system that has proven to be difficult to unlock. In light of these challenges, using new types of engine power may appear to be a solution. Electric vehicles have the potential to improve the efficiency, affordability, and sustainability of the transport system. However, there remains much uncertainty as to how such a transition from one type of engine to another may unfold, and where it could take place within the European context. In June 2017, the H2020 project SHAPE-ENERGY launched an online debate on the Debating Europe platform with the question: “Should all cars be electric by 2025?”. The aim of the debate was to elicit citizens views on whether the goal could be reached, how and with which consequences. The diversity of the vantage points that have appeared in the subsequent discussion generated by the strands of debate allows us to bring into discussion the viewpoints and arguments that are not often addressed in the literature on the adoption of electric cars in a comprehensive way. The article sheds light on those debates across Europe, in order to bring new insights to European policymakers that are seeking to promote the market for electric vehicles. It also broadens the scope and offers important contributions to scholarly debates on the diffusion and adoption of such vehicles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Mobility and Transportation)

20 pages, 1404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Framework for Assessing Public Transportation Sustainability in Planning and Policy-Making

by Linda E. Karjalainen and Sirkku Juhola

Sustainability 2019, 11(4), 1028; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041028 - 16 Feb 2019

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 8343

Abstract

Transportation plays a key role in urban sustainability planning and urban greenhouse gas emission reductions. Globally, cities have established sustainability agendas and policies to guide the shift from traditional private automobile dependent transportation systems towards an increased use of public transportation, cycling, and [...] Read more.

Transportation plays a key role in urban sustainability planning and urban greenhouse gas emission reductions. Globally, cities have established sustainability agendas and policies to guide the shift from traditional private automobile dependent transportation systems towards an increased use of public transportation, cycling, and walking. While the surrounding physical urban form and governance structures condition public transportation services, there are also many other factors to consider when discussing sustainability. As such, comprehensive planning and policy-oriented assessment frameworks that are independent of local conditions are still largely missing in literature. This paper presents a Public Transportation Sustainability Indicator List (PTSIL) that provides a platform for an integrated assessment of environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainability through an indicator-based approach. To demonstrate its use, the PTSIL is applied to analyze the policy documents of public transportation agencies in Helsinki, Finland, and Toronto, Canada. The results show that while both cities achieve relatively high scores in all dimensions, there is still high variability among individual indicators. The PTSIL presents a missed stepping stone between descriptive definitions of transportation sustainability and case specific sustainability performance assessments, offering an opportunity within the planning and policy-making sectors to review, assess, and develop public transportation services comprehensively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Mobility and Transportation)

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37 pages, 4978 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Context-Adapted Urban Planning for Rapid Transitioning of Personal Mobility towards Sustainability: A Systematic Literature Review

by Varvara Nikulina, David Simon, Henrik Ny and Henrikke Baumann

Sustainability 2019, 11(4), 1007; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041007 - 15 Feb 2019

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 8343

Abstract

Sustainability related challenges in mobility planning have been recognised at the international level, and the urgency for change has been widely discussed among scholars. However, there seems to be no general agreement on the best ways to pursue such change. To seek answers [...] Read more.

Sustainability related challenges in mobility planning have been recognised at the international level, and the urgency for change has been widely discussed among scholars. However, there seems to be no general agreement on the best ways to pursue such change. To seek answers to the question of how to pursue change, this study analysed the development of the broad research fields of mobility, urban planning and transitions, and the overlap of these bodies of literature. Both academic and non-academic literatures were covered. By means of a systematic literature review, as well as bibliometric studies, several prominent research themes that address change from planning and transition perspectives were identified. Moreover, these themes describe different viewpoints and challenges in mobility planning. These include planning and policy for sustainable mobility and accessibility, backcasting and scenario planning, indicators in planning, modes of transport, decision-making, studies of global North and global South, as well as overarching themes of equity, equality and justice, roles of institutions, and co-production of knowledge. Strategies for staying up to date with these fields were also identified. In the literature covered, the temporal dimension in mobility planning was described in four different ways, but little was found about how accelerated transitions towards sustainable mobility can be achieved. Further knowledge gaps were identified in relation to behavioural change, policy development, institutionalisation of planning capacity, and social sustainability in mobility planning. This created an outline for possible future studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Mobility and Transportation)

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1 pages, 144 KiB

Open AccessAddendum

Addendum: Bergman, Z.; Bergman, M.M. A Case Study of the Sustainable Mobility Problem–Solution Paradox: Motility and Access of Metrorail Commuters in the Western Cape. Sustainability 2019, 11, 2842

by Zinette Bergman and Manfred Max Bergman

Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6694; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236694 - 26 Nov 2019

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1426

Abstract

The authors would like to make the following corrections about the published paper [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Mobility and Transportation)

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