Special Issue "Transportation Planning, Mobility Habits and Sustainable Development in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 16 September 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Armando Cartenì
E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Campania, via Roma 29, 81031 Aversa (CE), Italy
Interests: transportation planning; sustainable mobility; particulate matter concentration; transportation environmental impacts; cost-benefit analyses; stakeholder engagement; travel demand modelling; discrete choice modelling; innovative technologies; transport market penetration; static traffic assignment; passengers/freight terminal simulation; intelligent transportation system; sharing mobility; mobility as a service
Dr. Ilaria Henke
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Via Claudio, 21, 80125 ,Napoli (NA), Italy
Interests: transportation planning; sustainable mobility; transportation environmental impacts; cost-benefit analyses; decision-Making in the transport sector; stakeholder engagement; travel demand modelling; discrete choice modelling; quality in public transport

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Starting in December 2019, the world has been facing an unprecedented health crisis caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) due to SARS-CoV-2. The global spread was so rapid that the World Health Organization on 12 March 2020 officially declared a global pandemic. Nowadays, a second wave is taking place in all over the world, so it is even more important to understand how to design the most appropriate short, medium, and long-term strategies/policies to minimize the huge economic and social impact of this crisis. The lockdown of cities and regions together with specific mobility restrictions have been common practices implemented worldwide to contain and delay the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. Furthermore, mobility habits and some environmental factors have played a central role in the spread of the virus.

Coronavirus has deeply affected the population globally, causing the world to become more reluctant to perform "unnecessary" activities (trips) and to become wary (fearful) of social interactions. Social distancing became first mandatory and then desirable, with significant consequences for the quality of life and for the global economy. In this context, also the transportation system (both passenger and freight) was impacted (e.g., limitation in passenger capacity for public services; reluctance towards crowded transport services), with still unknown consequences in the short and long period. However, this crisis could also be considered as an opportunity for relaunching social and welfare policies in addition to a sustainable development.

For these reasons, an advance in scientific knowledge has become a key issue to support all public and private actors across the globe that are facing this crisis. Therefore, Sustainability is inviting contributions of articles with this goal for publication in a Special Issue.

Of particular interest are original and/or review papers addressing (but not limited to) the following topics related to sustainability:

  • mobility habits incidence in the spread of the virus
  • transport system impacts caused by the COVID-19 and the pandemic restrictions (e.g., behavioral and mobility habits variation, modal share modification, environmental and pollutant impacts)
  • methods and models for predicting pandemic impacts on transportation system and travel demand
  • sustainable mobility, sharing transport services and micro mobility during and after the coronavirus crisis
  • resilience of the transportation system and transport services during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • social and economic equity impacts caused by the Coronavirus measures (e.g., mobility restrictions)
  • freight transport role and impacts during and after the pandemic
  • procurement and distribution of medical and healthcare materials
  • supply-chain management of medical, healthcare, and food goods
  • planning, policies, projects, best practices and solutions to improve the transportation system, encouraging the urban regeneration and the sustainable development during and after COVID-19
  • society impact and prevention actions
  • influences of environmental factors and/or air quality (e.g., temperature, humidity, particulate matters) on transmission of the virus
  • environment impacts due to the pandemic

Prof. Dr. Armando Cartenì
Dr. Ilaria Henke
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 papers will be 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 1900 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

  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Covid-19
  • Coronavirus
  • pandemic, mobility
  • transportation
  • accessibility
  • transportation planning
  • transport system
  • transport services
  • public transport
  • transport policy
  • behavioural model
  • travel demand
  • mobility habits
  • freight transport
  • logistic
  • procurement of medical and healthcare materials
  • economic impacts
  • social impacts
  • welfare
  • urban regeneration
  • sustainable development
  • environment impacts
  • air quality
  • particulate matters
  • social equity
  • resilience

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Article
The Impact of COVID-19 on Air Transportation Network in the United States, Europe, and China
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9656; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179656 (registering DOI) - 27 Aug 2021
Viewed by 166
Abstract
The air transportation industry has undergone unprecedented changes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as measured in terms of flight cancellations, aircraft retirements, airline bailouts, and disconnection of worldwide communities. In this study, we performed a cross-comparison of the impact COVID-19 had on three aviation [...] Read more.
The air transportation industry has undergone unprecedented changes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as measured in terms of flight cancellations, aircraft retirements, airline bailouts, and disconnection of worldwide communities. In this study, we performed a cross-comparison of the impact COVID-19 had on three aviation centers of the world—the United States, Europe, and China. Methodologically, we analyzed the air transportation system as complex networks and by using time series analysis. We discovered that the peak of COVID-19 impact was around April/May 2020, followed by a strong recovery mostly in domestic subsystems. We found a homogeneous impact on the United States, a strong heterogeneous impact on Europe, and a rather short-term impact on China. Domestic flight connectivity recovered much faster than international flight connectivity, particularly for the Chinese air transportation system. Our study provided a comprehensive, data-driven analysis of the COVID-19 impact on air transportation for these three major regions, augmented by references to the rich scientific literature on this subject. We hope that our work opens up pathways to a better understanding and a higher degree of preparedness for future pandemics. Full article
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Article
COVID-19 Countermeasures and Passengers’ Confidence of Urban Rail Travel in Bangkok
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9377; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169377 - 20 Aug 2021
Viewed by 386
Abstract
Rail transit systems around the world have been suffering from heavily reduced ridership due to reduced capacity for social distancing and passengers’ concern over the risk of COVID-19 infection. Various countermeasures were implemented to reduce the COVID-19 risk so that passengers felt safe [...] Read more.
Rail transit systems around the world have been suffering from heavily reduced ridership due to reduced capacity for social distancing and passengers’ concern over the risk of COVID-19 infection. Various countermeasures were implemented to reduce the COVID-19 risk so that passengers felt safe to travel on rail. The objectives of this study were to evaluate COVID-19 countermeasures of Bangkok’s urban rail from passengers’ viewpoints and examine its influence on passenger’s confidence. The background of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand and the rail countermeasures implemented in Bangkok were summarized. The data were obtained from an interview survey of 1105 railway passengers conducted at the stations during the second wave of the pandemic. Factor analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted. The results revealed that social distancing was not satisfied by the passengers but adversely caused inconvenience and increased infection risk when the station or rail were congested. On the other hand, the passenger temperature check, face mask enforcement, and hand sanitization countermeasures were found to highly and positively contribute to passengers’ confidence. Contact tracing application was also found to raise awareness and confidence. The findings provided insights for rail authorities and related agencies to effectively implement the countermeasures that would be practically and financially sustainable. Full article
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Article
Overview of Safety Measures at Selected Airports during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8499; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158499 - 29 Jul 2021
Viewed by 403
Abstract
The year 2020 was very challenging for the whole world, given the outbreak of the ongoing coronavirus-related pandemic, and was marked in particular by overcoming new hitherto unknown obstacles. For air transport, in particular, airlines stopped flying altogether and were forced to ground [...] Read more.
The year 2020 was very challenging for the whole world, given the outbreak of the ongoing coronavirus-related pandemic, and was marked in particular by overcoming new hitherto unknown obstacles. For air transport, in particular, airlines stopped flying altogether and were forced to ground hundreds of planes worldwide involuntarily. Airports had to close their terminals for a long time, wholly suspend operations, and its resumption required significant organizational changes. This article summarizes the measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic adopted by airports to minimize the risk of spreading the disease. The article focuses on countermeasures and their implementation at selected airports in a specific time frame and airports’ behavior during a pandemic which varies depending on country and time of the year. The results demonstrated that steps being taken at airports include the use of face coverings or masks, social distance, enhanced cleaning and disinfection, or temperature checks and/or symptoms (fever, loss of smell, chills, cough, shortness of breath), RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) screening and data collection with health declaration. These measures have now become an essential standard for the operation of airports and can, therefore, be used to assess the level of airport safety achieved. In the final phase, the article evaluates the level of achieved airport safety based on the proposed scoring method. Full article
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Article
Environmental Regeneration Integrating Soft Mobility and Green Street Networks: A Case Study in the Metropolitan Periphery of Naples
Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8195; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158195 - 22 Jul 2021
Viewed by 456
Abstract
Public space and street networks form a significant and central determinant of urban quality. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has focused their crucial importance in the reorganisation of places that are “safe” because they allow movement through cities with minimal risk of [...] Read more.
Public space and street networks form a significant and central determinant of urban quality. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has focused their crucial importance in the reorganisation of places that are “safe” because they allow movement through cities with minimal risk of contagion. While addressing the need for social distancing, open air exercise, and mobility without use of public transport, these measures resulted in other environmental and social benefits. Living with the coronavirus pandemic has produced a series of adaptative actions, such as barring or limiting automobile traffic, thereby expanding street space for pedestrians and bicyclists, whose impact is, as yet, difficult to fathom because of their contingent, temporary nature. In this context, this case study proposes a sustainable bicycle network to inform the future, permanent street redesign. Based on topographic, morphologic, and climatic data, it evaluates a series of contiguous road sections, defining redesign capacities and critical conditions to implement sustainable interventions to manage urban runoff, mitigate of extreme heat events, expand pedestrian paths and provide a bicycle network. This holistic approach to sustainable urban design evaluation, supported by reproducible data and parameters, serves as a replicable model for the sustainable redesign of roads in other urban settings. The extent, integration, and complexity of the study engaged an interdisciplinary framework, facilitating detailed planning and design and quantified assessments of environmental outcomes. Full article
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Article
Travel Demand Prediction during COVID-19 Pandemic: Educational and Working Trips at the University of Padova
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6596; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126596 - 09 Jun 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 682
Abstract
The diffusion of the COVID-19 pandemic has induced fundamental changes in travel habits. Although many previous authors have analysed factors affecting observed variations in travel demand, only a few works have focused on predictions of future new normal conditions when people will be [...] Read more.
The diffusion of the COVID-19 pandemic has induced fundamental changes in travel habits. Although many previous authors have analysed factors affecting observed variations in travel demand, only a few works have focused on predictions of future new normal conditions when people will be allowed to decide whether to travel or not, although risk mitigation measures will still be enforced on vehicles, and innovative mobility services will be implemented. In addition, few authors have considered future mandatory trips of students that constitute a great part of everyday travels and are fundamental for the development of society. In this paper, logistic regression models were calibrated by using data from a revealed and stated-preferences mobility survey administered to students and employees at the University of Padova (Italy), to predict variables impacting on their decisions to perform educational and working trips in the new normal phase. Results highlighted that these factors are different between students and employees; furthermore, available travel alternatives and specific risk mitigation measures on vehicles were found to be significant. Moreover, the promotion of the use of bikes, as well as bike sharing, car pooling and micro mobility among students can effectively foster sustainable mobility habits. On the other hand, countermeasures on studying/working places resulted in a slight effect on travel decisions. Full article
Article
Particulate Matter Short-Term Exposition, Mobility Trips and COVID-19 Diffusion: A Correlation Analyses for the Italian Case Study at Urban Scale
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4553; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084553 - 20 Apr 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 722
Abstract
The conjecture discussed in this paper was that the daily number of certified cases of COVID-19 is direct correlated to the average particular matter (PM) concentrations observed several days before when the contagions occurred (short-term effect), and this correlation is higher for areas [...] Read more.
The conjecture discussed in this paper was that the daily number of certified cases of COVID-19 is direct correlated to the average particular matter (PM) concentrations observed several days before when the contagions occurred (short-term effect), and this correlation is higher for areas with a higher average seasonal PM concentration, as a measure of prolonged exposure to a polluted environment (long-term effect). Furthermore, the correlations between the daily COVID-19 new cases and the mobility trips and those between the daily PM concentrations and mobility trips were also investigated. Correlation analyses were performed for the application case study consisting in 13 of the main Italian cities, through the national air quality and mobility monitoring systems. Data analyses showed that the mobility restrictions performed during the lockdown produced a significant improvement in air quality with an average PM concentrations reduction of about 15%, with maximum variations ranging between 25% and 42%. Estimation results showed a positive correlation (stronger for the more highly polluted cities) between the daily COVID-19 cases and both the daily PM concentrations and mobility trips measured about three weeks before, when probably the contagion occurred. The obtained results are original, and if confirmed in other studies, it would lay the groundwork for the definition of the main context variables which influenced the COVID-19 spread. The findings highlighted in this research also supported by the evidence in the literature and allow concluding that PM concentrations and mobility habits could be considered as potential early indicators of COVID-19 circulation in outdoor environments. However, the obtained results pose significant ethical questions about the proper urban and transportation planning; the most polluted cities have not only worst welfare for their citizens but, as highlighted in this research, could lead to a likely greater spread of current and future respiratory and/or pulmonary health emergencies. The lesson to be learned by this global pandemic will help planners to better preserve the air quality of our cities in the post-COVID-19 era. Full article
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