Achieving Sustainable Mobility

Sustainable mobility has become the new imperative for transport policy. There have been a number of policy attempts at sustainable mobility globally, such as the development of more efficient conventional transport technologies, the promotion of efficient and affordable public transport systems and the encouragement of environmental awareness. Such policies have so often been presented as prerequisites for sustainable mobility that they are now taken for granted. But are any of these policies really successful? To what extent do they actually contribute (or fail to contribute) to sustainable mobility? Why do some policies succeed and others fail? Using an interdisciplinary approach which brings together various theories and methodologies, this book tests each of these policies - or hypotheses, as the author sees them - with detailed empirical investigations. It also argues that leisure-time travel should be included in any sustainable mobility policies, as it now accounts for 50 per cent of all annual travel distance in developed countries. The book concludes by suggesting fourteen theses of sustainable mobility for the EU and a new model for future best practice.

Our world is changing fast. Countries’ transport systems, which have long been shaped by project-by-project considerations, must help achieve higher-level goals for the well-being of mankind, as embodied by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. New forces impose greater effectiveness in the way public choices are made, such as making better use of data and technologies, adopting a more inclusive and participatory approach to decision making, and addressing social concerns about equity. Transport practitioners and country decision-makers have been looking for structured and coherent guidance about ways to adjust to these new dynamics and change the trajectory of transport system. This book examines the rationale for and details an innovative approach for public decision-making to expedite the pace to sustainable mobility.

Sustainable mobility is a qualitative, vague and normative vision. Although this vagueness is often criticized and seen as a drawback it also allows diverse stakeholders to commit to the goal of sustainable mobility. It allows for consensus, which can also help achieve a transport system that enables mobility for current and future generations. The goal of sustainable mobility is an ambitious one and requires a long-term and process-oriented perspective. With this in mind, this volume examines sustainable mobilities from multiple angles varying by time, region, cultural and economic backgrounds, local stakeholders and governance structures. By achieving a better understanding of mobility behaviour and mobility needs in different contexts this book develops innovative strategies and advances modelling approaches which evaluate these strategies. Presented here is not an ideal package of strategies to achieve sustainable mobility but rather innovations in the different disciplines and fields to show how each of them can contribute to keeping all people mobile - today and in the future.

Reflecting the dynamic relationships between socio-technical behaviour and change, this book presents leading research on the transition process needed to achieve more sustainable transport systems. Focusing on making transition happen, this volume looks at various aspects and factors that are involved in the transition process and their implications for transport policy-making. The concept of Transition Management and how it can be applied to the transport sector is considered in detail, and forms the focus of the first part of the volume. The rest of the book is organised according to the three themes of transport energy use and emissions, the role of information in policy-making, and the evaluation of transport policy. This volume brings together scholars involved in research from various disciplines and countries to discuss the relationships between policy instruments, individual behaviour, institutional practices and the transition towards more sustainable transport systems.

Sustainable Urban Mobility Pathways examines how sustainable urban mobility solutions contribute to achieving worldwide sustainable development and global climate change targets, while also identifying barriers to implementation and strategies to overcome them. Building on city-to-city cooperation experiences in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, the book examines key challenges in the context of the Paris Agreement, UN Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda, including policies needed to achieve a sustainable, low-carbon pathway for transport and how an integrated policy strategy is designed to provide a basis for political coalitions. The book explores which institutional framework creates sufficient political stability and continuity to foster the take-up of and long-term support for sustainable transport strategies. The linkages of climate change and wider sustainable development objectives are covered, including success stories, best practices, and quantitative analysis for key emerging economies in public transport, walking, cycling, freight and logistics, vehicle technology and fuels, urban planning and integration, and national framework policies. Provides a holistic view of sustainable urban transport, focusing on policy-making processes, the role of institutions and successes and pitfalls Delivers practical insights drawn from the experiences of actual city-to-city cooperation and on-the-ground policy work Explores options for the integration of policy objectives and institutional structures that form coalitions for the implementation of sustainable urban mobility solutions Describes the policy, institutional, political, and socio-economic aspects in cities in five emerging economies: Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and Turkey

This book argues that the issues surrounding sustainable transport constitute a new - post-modern - phase in transport policy and management

This book challenges conventional approaches to transport by moving away from trend based analysis towards the use of scenarios to identify alternative sustainable transport futures.

ÔFor a thorough and thoughtful perspective on what it will take to de-carbonize cities of the future, this book is a must-read. Technology alone, we are told, will not create the post-carbon city. As important is coming to grips with a complex web of cultural, institutional, financial, and social factors that powerfully shape mobility choices, now and in the future. A balanced, holistic approach that reveals how the many elements of contemporary transport systems work together offers the best hope for achieving more sustainable, less carbon-intensive mobility futures.Õ Ð Robert Cervero, University of California, Berkeley, US ÔThis is not just another book about transport and climate change. It sensibly places transport within the much broader concept of mobility and explores all aspects of travel behaviour, of people and goods, and the infrastructure needs to serve these, leading to a balanced set of policy proposals. This volume, compiled by an internationally eminent team of researchers, is essential reading for all those wanting a balanced and objective analysis of this critical topic.Õ Ð Roger Vickerman, University of Kent, UK ÔA unique assemblage of papers by top international experts that together cover every aspect of the transport-mobility-environment relationship Ð todayÕs central issue for transport planners worldwide.Õ Ð Sir Peter Hall, University College London (UCL), UK The transport sector has been singularly unsuccessful in becoming low carbon and less resource intensive. This book takes an innovative and holistic social, cultural and behavioural perspective, as well as covering the more conventional economic and technological dimensions, to provide a more complete understanding of the mobility and transport system and its progress towards high carbon mobility. The book uses this platform to explore the means to achieve low carbon mobility through outlining alternative pathways, through an investigation of theories of change, and through alternative visions of the low carbon transport city. The bookÕs core message is that the complexity of the mobility and transport system should not encourage inaction, but strong and immediate action. In addition to implementing a wide range of policy measures, the book argues for a fundamental change in ÔthinkingÕ when it comes to transport policy, governance and analysis approaches, before low carbon mobility becomes a reality. Bringing together the latest thinking on transport, mobility and the environment, this book will appeal to researchers and students interested in sustainability issues and sustainable transport and transport related areas in particular, including policy makers as well as a more general professional audience.