Climate Crisis and Resilient Transportation Systems

Complete Streets (CS) is an approach for planning and designing streets that enables safety and mobility for all roadway users, i.e., pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders. CS policies can assist agencies at all levels in redefining their decision-making processes regarding multimodal transportation needs by creating vital strategies. Since the initial development of the CS concept in the early 2000’s, more than 1,700 agencies have implemented such policies in the USA. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) recently developed the Complete Streets, Roads, and Highways Manual aiming to enhance a safe and equitable transportation system throughout the state. This generated the need to develop a methodology or a tool to evaluate and assess the potential benefits of CS projects. The primary objective of this study is to outline the potential benefits associated with the implementation of CS and develop an assessment framework. For this purpose, two literature reviews are conducted. The first focused on CS policies and the second on potential benefits from CS projects. The findings of these reviews allowed for the development of an assessment framework that KYTC can use to identify potential impacts and benefits of CS projects. These findings can serve as valuable insights for transportation agencies, aiding them in prioritizing CS projects. Future tasks will develop a comprehensive assessment tool to further facilitate decision-making and implementation.

Since 2016, Serbia has been developing Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), with the first one being adopted in Kruševac in 2017. However, SUMPs are not currently included in mandatory planning documentation; rather, they are typically initiated or supported by European development institutions in collaboration with local self-governments (LSGs). This paper discusses the current practice of SUMP production in Serbia. One notable issue is the lack of comprehensive traffic data and the insufficient capacity of traffic engineers and other professionals involved in mobility planning, as well as a shortage of institutional support and engagement from decision-makers. Urban planning experts within LSGs primarily focus on legally required urban plans, often neglecting transport planning aspects. The paper also explores opportunities for enhancing the SUMP methodology to better suit local circumstances. Furthermore, there’s a clear need for a shift in attitudes towards sustainable mobility among both professionals and the general public. Drawing on the experiences of neighboring EU countries can provide valuable insights for navigating future challenges in SUMP development. Improving legal regulations to clarify the status of SUMPs, whether as binding documents or not, and outlining the sustainable mobility planning process more clearly are critical steps forward.

Citizens must be involved in creating and enhancing policies that promote sustainable mobility. The goal is not just to address the demands of users but also to help find strategies for altering ingrained patterns and habits related to transportation behavior. The main factor influencing whether environmental results, including transportation, are positive or negative is human behavior, whether at work or in their free time. In order to understand users’ motives in relation to policy objectives, it is crucial to include them in the policy-making process. Sustainable mobility will benefit from taking an ecologically responsible stance. This paper presents several sustainable mobility interventions derived from a citizen engagement process. The methodology involved organizing four (4) citizen panels in the West Midlands, UK, where participants completed specific exercises. Specifically, the steps were as follows: i) Defining the visions – long-term direction, ii) Participatory diagnosis of transport policies, iii) Decision on priorities, and iv) Designing of actions. The findings revealed that two main citizen behaviors need to be targeted by future sustainable mobility policies. These relate to changing automatic or habitual car users’ behaviors to encourage more active travel and parents of young families to provide alternate options for their children’s safer and more autonomous school transportation.

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the accessibility and connectivity of the four university facilities in Volos, focusing on transportation systems including buses, walking, and bicycles. Utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, the research assesses the accessibility of Volos’ university campuses based on total travel time, serving as the primary metric. Travel times are measured for journeys to and from the campuses, providing insights into overall accessibility. Furthermore, a questionnaire survey was distributed among Volos’ academic community, inquiring transportation preferences, travel times, and challenges encountered. Results indicate an average travel time of 20 min to access most campuses via available transportation modes, aligning with survey responses. In addition, participants also shared insights into the obstacles faced by individuals with disabilities when utilizing transportation in Volos and expressed that access to the university campuses of Volos via the offered transportation options is nearly impossible for these individuals. This research sheds light on the transportation dynamics impacting university accessibility in Volos and highlights the disconnection between accessibility standards and the experiences of individuals with disabilities. These findings emphasize the importance of future policy changes and could aid decision makers improve accessibility and connectivity within university settings, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and accommodating environment for students, faculty, and visitors.

Sustainable mobility in corporate environments is essential to address environmental concerns and improve employee well-being. Gamification is a promising strategy to promote sustainability in commuting choices, but its long-term effectiveness remains uncertain. This study investigates the impact of different game dynamics on driving sustainable urban mobility behaviour change through a one-year experiment conducted in a research and technology organisation in Luxembourg. Its research question is: “How do different game dynamics influence individuals’ mobility choices and the resulting sustainable outcomes?”. We used different game elements and analysed their effectiveness in promoting behaviour change. Through MUV, a startup specialising in sustainability competitions and mobility data collection, employees were involved in various initiatives and the overall impact of individual choices was measured. The results show that the game dynamics significantly influenced individual behaviour, resulting in different mobility choices. We present findings highlighting the most compelling dynamics and their practical implications for organisations promoting sustainability. This research demonstrates the potential of game design to promote sustainable urban mobility in corporate settings and provides insights into strategies for endurable behaviour change.

Nowadays, there is a noticeable surge in urban expansion globally, with over fifty percent of the world’s inhabitants residing in urbanised regions. However, the process of urbanization brings a multitude of interconnected challenges for cities, including issues such as pollution, poverty, inequality, aging infrastructure, excessive re-source consumption, alterations in land use, and impacts on biodiversity. It is evident that effecting substantial change in cities demands comprehensive and ambitious actions, targeting transformations in political, social, and economic frameworks. The concept of the “15-Minute City” introduces a new perspective on urban planning, prioritizing human scale and the overall urban experience. At its core, this concept proposes that cities should be designed to enable inhabitants to meet all their daily requirements within a fifteen-minute walk or bicycle ride from their residences. This includes access to work, housing, food, health services, education, with the ultimate objective of promoting sustainable mobility. The key element of the 15-minute city is to decrease reliance on private cars by minimising and optimising travel to various facilities and activities via more focused and heterogeneous area utilisation. This study examines the possibility of adopting the fifteen-minute city concept in Greek urban areas to promote sustainable mobility. Geographic In-formation Systems technology will be utilized to analyze factors such as proximity of essential services, transportation infrastructure, and land use patterns. Additionally, the paper aims to evaluate social acceptance of the 15-min urban model planning using structure questionnaire.

The shift of commuters towards the use of active transportation modes is becoming more pronounced. To accommodate this change, cities across the U.S. are increasingly focusing on improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This increased demand can benefit from multi-modal highway development or stand-alone pedestrian and bicycle projects which in turn can induce additional active transportation (AT) demand. Measuring the benefits of infrastructure improvement is central to prioritizing projects, and active transportation can result in health, congestion, safety, and recreational benefits. This paper identifies and summarizes potential benefits stemming from pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure and estimates the economic value of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure improvements. These benefits can be direct to the user of the facility and/or indirect to society. Understanding the benefits of such improvements can assist policymakers in deciding which projects will be funded. The methodology described will be proposed for implementation in Kentucky through its Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT), a quantitative approach for scoring projects and ranking them according to these benefits.

According to the European Commission, cycling (and walking) is considered an active mobility mode which, besides being of low cost and without emissions, can also bring about health benefits to society. A bike lane network along with the walkways and the public pedestrian areas with which it often intermingles can largely transform the visage of a city, its transportation system and in general the way the city functions in a positive way, given that the network has been properly and adequately planned. This paper aims at providing an analysis of the bicycle lane network of the city of Larissa, an average sized city, as regards its relation to the general notion of urban planning, the technical implementation, whether the interconnection of the distinct urban areas can be achieved and how through that network. We consider the bike lane network as a layer of nodes and axes which ideally should cover, interconnect and coincide with the main urban centers and land uses of the city when superimposed upon the urban grid. Finally, proposals will be made for further research about the way an urban network should be developed, emphasizing on the importance of nodes, axes, and interconnection among the main urban compartments and using in a new harmoniously combined way the planning tools of architecture, mathematics and possibly informatics.

The purpose of this case study is to create a bicycle infrastructure route evaluation method, based on street-level bicycle accessibility. The center of Athens, from Monastiraki to Gyzi, was defined as the evaluation area. Initially, data were collected for each road segment separately in the demarcated study area, from which cyclist's stress levels were extracted. Together with other suitable evaluation criteria, stress levels contributed to the final equation which calculated the “real length” of each route segment based on safety and speed of cyclists and through this procedure the appropriate roads for the Cycling Route Network were chosen. This evaluation method contributes to already known and used methodologies. The methodology allows automatization of bicycle network route choice through a software, or an application.

In many Sub-Saharan African cities, a substantial portion of the population relies on walking and cycling, particularly for access to public transport. However, the safety of pedestrians and cyclists is a significant challenge, with intersections and overpasses designed primarily for motorized vehicles. Pedestrians often lack recognition as legitimate road users, facing inadequate respect compared to motorized vehicles. Traditional mobility initiatives targeting local residents prove insufficient for engaging a diverse demographic, especially active mobility users. The research landscape on cyclists and pedestrians in Africa is underdeveloped, and conventional urban planning instruments are ill-suited for assessing their unique challenges.To address these issues, Living Labs are introduced to present and test scenarios for optimizing street space usage. These scenarios undergo rigorous evaluation for potential integration into urban environments. A multimodal approach is adopted, involving participatory crowd mapping and video analysis. A platform-independent crowd-mapping web app engages cyclists and pedestrians in real-time, providing insights into user behavior and preferences. Simultaneously, longitudinal video-based traffic conflict analysis quantitatively maps user behavior over time. It involves a systematic approach to observe and document instances of traffic conflicts and related occurrences pertaining to safety and operational aspects.This integrative approach within the Living Labs framework offers a comprehensive methodology for understanding, evaluating, and enhancing the mobility experiences of cyclists and pedestrians in African urban contexts. By combining participatory mapping tools and video analysis, this research methodology provides valuable insights into user behavior, contributing to the development of safer and more inclusive urban spaces for pedestrians and cyclists.

Promoting onboard bicycling is crucial for advancing seamless transportation. A comprehensive understanding of factors influencing onboard bicycle carriage is essential for strategically planning new initiatives and enhancing existing services. However, studies on service quality evaluation and service quality indicators concerning onboard bicycling are unavailable in the literature. A questionnaire-based primary survey was conducted to understand the user perception of factors affecting onboard bicycle carriage facility provision associated with the Kochi metro service in India. User perception-based importance and satisfaction ratings were collected on 20 attributes concerning onboard bicycling. Considered attributes encompass station facilities, metro services, fare, reliability, and safety. Importance Satisfaction analysis (ISA) is employed to determine the relative importance and satisfaction of factors affecting the service. ISA helps to categorize the attributes into four groups, identifying the focus areas for infrastructure and service improvements. The analysis results indicate that the station and metro service-related attributes are more significant than factors such as real-time information availability and availability of staff services. The attributes that require immediate attention are those perceived as very important by the users but reported as unsatisfied with the service. These factors include the maintenance of the specific provisions at the station, such as the fare gate, vertical movement etc., ease of movement through fare gates into the paid ticket area, and the availability of special provisions exclusive to vertical bicycle movement. Understanding the influence of the various attributes can be utilized to prioritize infrastructure or service improvement, facilitating existing users and attracting new ones.

In an attempt to address the climate crisis and to deliver more resilient transport systems, it is important to use all transport options. Active Travel has come to the fore once again, while governments are trying to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In the UK for example, it has become a statutory requirement for Active Travel England to be consulted about any new walking, wheeling or cycling infrastructure project. However, evidence suggests that the uptake of Active Travel initiatives remains low. An important component of Active Travel planning are local users, since they are the ones who will have to use any new infrastructure in the long-term.Building on past research, this study is based on a cross-sectional survey about walking and cycling distributed in the UK. 474 responses were received and 252 valid responses were used in the ANOVA analysis. Active Travel barriers reported include for example lack of dedicated cycle lanes, inadequate lighting and insufficient pedestrian crossings, all of which are commonly mentioned in the literature. The innovation of this study is that it included the Stages of Change in a single survey, offering a holistic approach to support resilient infrastructure planning. Survey results facilitate the prioritisation of Active Travel projects based on travel activity and socio-economic group. Such a behavioural change approach allows local authorities to develop targeted Active Travel schemes and policies to support infrastructure development, while justifying the funds invested. Overall, findings can support local and regional authorities worldwide to improve Active Travel uptake.

In recent years, shared e-scooters have emerged as a convenient, sustainable, and user-friendly alternative to automobile use for short trips in urban settings. Since 2017, many shared e-scooter pilot programs and deployments have been introduced across the US, leading to an expansion of shared e-scooter operations to 110 cities and 248 different e-scooter systems in 2021. The rapid growth of shared e-scooter services necessitates a study of spatiotemporal patterns of e-scooter usage and their potential impact on congestion reduction at the local level. This study, using data from a 2021–2022 shared e-scooter pilot program, delved into the temporal and spatial patterns of e-scooter trips in Birmingham, AL. The temporal analysis focused on temporal variations of trip characteristics, including number of trips, trip duration, and travel distance. The spatial analysis examined the locations of trips’ origins, destinations, and directions. Furthermore, e-scooter trips were integrated into a comprehensive simulation model of the Birmingham region, which was used to document impacts on traffic operations for various levels of e-scooter market penetration. The results revealed significant seasonal trends in e-scooter demand and clustering of shared e-scooter trip origins and destinations around a university campus and leisurely activities’ hubs. While some modal shifts occurred when e-scooter services were introduced, their impacts on network operations were minimal. These findings are expected to provide valuable insights for city planners, transportation officials, and micromobility service providers, aiding in informed decisions regarding infrastructure development, policy formulation, and resources allocation in the future.

In recent years, the issue of accessibility for people with mobility difficulties, more and more “aggressively” introduced to all scales of urban planning, but also of its legal interpretation. Even if the “poverty” of the existing infrastructure is another factor that makes this development difficult, for the Greek standards, the design findings of recent years are at least encouraging, albeit in an embryonic stage.Despite this fact, there are daily phenomena in which even these elementary infrastructures become the object of exploitation or/ and violation of elementary rules of civil behavior as well as an indication of civilization. Even if the fact that the specific reality has clear origins of elementary rules and level of education, urban planning must take further measures to deal with such everyday phenomena, by planning and constructing “smart” applications to prevent related phenomena.This article attempts to propose a specific, intelligent, low-cost infrastructure, to prevent parking, in places reserved for people with mobility difficulties. The aim of the specific applications is not prevention with, police-type, countermeasures but the highlighting and social “targeting” of vehicles and users who resort to such methods. The user of the vehicle who will park in this type of spaces, which objectively are few to minimal in Greek cities, will be perceived, with the use of the specific infrastructures, in that the place that he parked his vehicle was not foreseen. Therefore, the specific “violation” will also be noticed by passers-by or users of the land uses of adjacent buildings.

This paper aims to present the Erasmus + Sports “WalkingBus” project, which addresses the objective of “Encouraging a healthy lifestyle for all” with a specific focus on children by supporting walking as a means of commuting to school and other after-school activities. A walking bus is defined as a supervised group of children walking to or from school (or other premises) along a set route and picking up or dropping off “passengers” at specific points along the way. An increasing number of children do not get sufficient regular exercise because they are taken to school by car due to safety concerns, leading to adverse health outcomes not only in childhood but also in later life. In Greece, 52% of road traffic fatalities among children are pedestrians; in Italy, 24%; and in Türkiye, 41%. At the same time, in Greece, 13.8% of children aged 5–19 are obese; in Italy, 12.5%, and in Türkiye, 11.5%. The WalkingBus project aspires to address this problem in these countries. It will utilize several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate the project’s outcomes and the overall quality of the project, based on three (3) pillars: 1) Building the fundamentals of WalkingBus, 2) WalkingBus in action, and 3) Stakeholder engagement.

The paper outlines the methodology proposed in the European project ELABORATOR, aiming to support European cities in their efforts on person-centered mobility towards climate neutrality. At the centre is the UN SDG 11, which will be addressed via following a co-creation approach, adhering to the quadruple helix model and around articulating and designing urban interventions for all citizens. The employed methodologies facilitate a genuine relationship between citizens and other urban stakeholders via a meet-in-the-middle approach, seeing the city as a meeting place where all involved actors of the helix can co-create to generate new value. This is vital for ensuring societal relevance, unlocking innovative pathways, to support solutions’ adoption and longevity [1]. It is a multi-stage co-creation process encompassing co-designing, co-production, and co-evaluation, spanning in four phases: 1) The Set-up phase establishes a toolkit for evaluating urban mobility indicators, setting baselines while ensuring broad citizen participation. 2) Within the Discovery and Definition phase, actors collaboratively identify local mobility gaps and prioritize interventions, introducing a twinning methodology for knowledge transfer across cities. 3) In the Implementation phase, stakeholders engage in knowledge co-production, assessing each intervention using participatory tools. ICT tools are developed for structured information collection and organization, accessed via a data marketplace, and enabling cross-evaluation. 4) The Evaluation phase follows the steps of before and after studies, where pre-intervention is compared with post-intervention.

This study examines the perspectives, acceptability, and perceptions of road users on the newly constructed modern roundabouts in the medium-sized urban city of Volos, Greece. The objective is to assess the performance of these recently installed roundabouts in comparison to the prior signalised intersections in terms of traffic flow, safety, and acceptance among the city′s population. In order to accomplish this objective, a questionnaire survey was developed and thereafter, a representative sample was chosen. In total, there were 189 responses. Data were collected during this process and subsequently assessed and appraised using statistical analysis techniques. The primary finding of the current study is that road users exhibit a high level of acceptance of roundabouts. In particular, 90% of people strongly support the use of roundabouts and believe that they significantly improve traffic flow. Nevertheless, the perceived levels of safety are not totally sufficient, as 50% of pedestrians expressed a sense of insecurity. The binary logistic regression model revealed that gender, rate of travel through a roundabout in the city, and positive opinions towards the safety impacts of roundabouts were the primary variables influencing public acceptance of roundabouts.

Pedestrian routing is a vital aspect of ensuring safe and enjoyable pedestrian movement in urban environments. This paper presents an innovative urban environment developed in Thessaloniki that focuses on selecting optimal routes based on time, ease, and accessibility while ensuring the safety of pedestrians. The project utilizes cutting-edge technologies, smart urban infrastructure, data analysis tools, and the integration of smart citizens’ mobile devices to improve individual and collective safety perceptions. With a methodology that promotes the movement of Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) and encourages avoiding congested and pollution-prone areas, this project sets a new standard in urban planning that prioritizes the safety and well-being of its citizens. The project incorporates advanced technologies such as GPS, sensor data, Bluetooth detectors, and telecommunications to provide precise guidance and solutions, considering traffic conditions, road characteristics, and user preferences. By collecting real-time data and tracking people and objects, this project reinforces the actions of volunteers and local authorities in promoting safety during pedestrian movements.

In recent years, motorcycle ownership has significantly increased, particularly in urban areas. Although in developed economies the use of this mode of transport is not so popular, in developing countries it is one of the most widespread modes. Powered two three-wheelers (PTWs) were responsible for 21% of worldwide road fatalities for 2021, while in many countries the decrease in total road fatalities for motorcycles for the last decade is considerably lower compared to passenger vehicles. The main factors that contribute to motorcyclist incidents and crashes can be grouped in the following three main categories: human factors, road-environment factors and vehicle factors. The main objectives of this study are to review, identify and compare the main factors of PTW crashes and fatalities on a global scale. An in-depth literature review was carried out to identify and classify the main factors that contribute to PTW incidents, crashes and fatalities. Both developed and developing countries were examined. Statistical analyses were performed utilizing worldwide data to compare and identify the patterns that are related to high rates of PTW fatalities. Socioeconomic data, as well as legal regulations and driving behaviour patterns, were examined for the study. Finally, major policy implications are suggested based on the research findings to improve motorcycle safety. The identification of the critical aspects of motorcyclist crashes can efficiently contribute to the prevention and reduction of motorcycle-related fatalities and injuries.

Undertaking this research was crucial due to Lebanon′s traffic accident rates, exceeding those of many developed nations by a significant margin. It explores the impact of road complexity, demographic attributes, socioeconomic status, and vehicle characteristics on self-reported driving speeds. Additionally, the study examines how road complexity influences seatbelt usage and handheld cellphone use. Participants from Saint Joseph University of Beirut, representing the diverse Lebanese population, were asked to complete an extensive survey for the study. These participants assessed five different driving scenarios with varying road complexities. Employing multiple linear and ordinal logistic regression analyses, the study found that Lebanese drivers reduce speed with increasing road complexity, although their perception of complexity does not always align with objective measures, particularly in the highest complexity levels. Driving habits also influenced driving behaviors, with shorter distances correlating with lower speeds. Crucially, higher road complexity led to increased cellphone use but did not significantly affect seatbelt usage. In light of these observations, this approach illuminates how Lebanese drivers modify their speed and safety procedures in response to changing road conditions, providing valuable data for developing effective road safety strategies that take into account Lebanon′s particular driving environment.

Transport projects, particularly those that embrace sustainable mobility, can be game changers towards creating environmentally and socially friendly mobility networks. Despite aspiring to reduce mobility gaps, pitfalls in project design could lead to increased equity and accessibility distribution concerns. This study aims at providing a methodology to estimate the potential accessibility and consider equity effects of potential large-scale mobility infrastructure projects. The proposed method relies on spatial analysis and welfare economics and allows the comparison of multiple scenarios. Focusing on the metropolitan area of Athens, Greece, as the case study the method is applied to investigate and compare the impacts of three different alternative infrastructure projects to the existing fixed-route public transport system. Various public transport and cycling projects are evaluated: a) operation of a new metro line, b) development of a new metropolitan cycling network, and c) addition of both a new metro line and a metropolitan cycling network. The method advances the existing accessibility literature by incorporating and highlighting safety concerns in measuring accessibility. Unsafe links (no cycle lane, mixed traffic) are dilated whereas safe links are contracted (cycle lane), taking into account the Value-of-Safety (VoS). The study has significant policy and research implications as it offers a scalable framework for the evaluation of transport projects via the lens of fair and equity mobility networks.

Coastal cities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise, which is one of the main consequences of human-generated climate change. As global temperatures increase, polar ice caps and glaciers melt, leading to the expansion of seawater and the rising of sea levels, which poses numerous risks and challenges for transportation networks near the shore in coastal cities, impacting their accessibility. Several studies have analyzed the impact of inundation due to storm surge on the transportation networks in low-lying regions, but none of them consider the transient case of overtopping and overflow before the inundation itself. By implementing a coupled hydrodynamic and wave model in combination with the coastal geometry to calculate the overtopping, overflowing, and later inundation, an accessibility-based methodology is used to evaluate the level of disruption in the transportation network affected by the natural event. To weigh the area in accordance with the populations, we use Mobile Spatial Statistics as an input of our accessibility evaluation model. The study area is the Suruga Bay, on Shizuoka prefecture, Japan. The coast of Shizuoka was hit by Typhoon Hagibis in October of 2019, causing the highest-level storm surges recorded in the area and widespread destruction.When contrasting travel durations between standard and the most degraded scenarios, there is a 1.6% cumulative rise in travel time throughout the entire surveyed network.

People with reduced mobility often face challenges when using current regular public transportation systems. However, there is an observed increase in door-to-door services. The implementation of an alternative system targeted to a specific and non-scaling audience, requires greater flexibility while simultaneous being able to minimize service costs, introducing new challenges and uncertainties during its implementation. Some systems fail due to strategic errors made during planning, related to configurations and the choice of less appropriate resources. This underscores the need to design a framework capable of capturing the heterogeneity and interactions of interests simultaneously, involving stakeholders in the decision-making process by providing essential information and perspectives.This article explores the methodology employed to create an intelligent management framework for a flexible transport system, consisting of three main components: operational management, simulation, and decision support system. The interconnection of these elements will enable an understanding of the context, resource optimization, adaptation of parameterisation to existing needs, solution evaluation, comparison of alternative scenarios based on different criteria, real-time system monitoring/control, and assessment/investigation of incidents, non-conformities, and risks. This way, valuable information will be provided to define structure of resources and technologies that best address the real needs of the field, ensuring that solutions reflect the preferences of stakeholders.

One of the key challenges for modern cities is to achieve sustainable development, with equal opportunities for all residents at its core. A crucial aspect of urban sustainability is transportation, and in particular walking. Walking is the only transportation mode that is inclusive and accessible to all residents, a key indicator of the quality of life of citizens, that also determines how well people live city.Thus, ensuring safe and high-quality pedestrian routes for all citizens, and especially for those with reduced mobility, is a critical issue for cities. In populous cities with complex urban environments, such as the Municipality of Athens of Athens, where high population density, dense urban environment and diversity of land use are key features, achieving safe pedestrian routes, especially for people with reduced mobility, is even more challenging.Driven by the need to ensure that people with reduced mobility have equal opportunities in complex urban environment, such as that of Athens, herein is presented a methodology for the creation of a safe and accessible to all pedestrian route, connecting major transportation hubs and important urban points of interest through major urban roads.

Since Poland’s accession to the EU in 2004, economic growth has led to significant expansion of the built environment in Polish cities. This has been reflected in the rise of (sub)urban sprawl developments, accompanied by traffic congestion and air pollution challenges . Our study models the consequences of recent (sub)urban development in Polish cities in terms of traffic congestion and pollution externalities. To this end, we formulate analytical approach capturing interactions between land-use changes, transport performance and emissions of both air pollutants and CO2 (the ‘LUTEm’ framework). We apply this framework to case studies of large and middle-sized cities (Warsaw, Rzeszow) to simulate the impacts of dynamic (sub)urbanisation between 2006 and 2023 upon traffic network loads, system performance and vehicular emissions.Our analyses underline the significant growths (20 – 50%) in total built-up area and traffic loads. While road network investments (e.g. ring roads) provided traffic relief in certain areas, these were largely mitigated by induced (rebound) traffic effects. Increasing traffic volumes and emissions are a widely observable consequence, particularly in suburban areas. Increasing travel distances and car dependency have resulted in the rise of peak-hour traffic emissions by 20 – 50% between the 2006 and 2023 scenarios. Our investigation outcomes underscore the amplification of recent (sub)urban sprawl consequences for transport and environment in Poland. Reversing the uncontrolled sprawl is therefore a crucial policy direction for Polish cities to achieve the objectives of sustainable development and climate mitigation.

This paper focuses on ``15-min cities'', a perspective that argues that residential, work, and leisure activities should be accessible within a short time. Its purpose is firstly to explore the basic principles of the 15-min city concept, and its contribution to the sustainability of a city, and then to develop a methodology modeled according to the 15-min city principles. The aim is to reconnect people with the neighborhood and to encourage the localization of different urban functions at the neighborhood level. The methodology was put together based on a review of planning strategies from international examples and subsequently modified accordingly. Specifically, the division of the study area, which is the urban complex of Thessaloniki, into smaller units was carried out to examine whether the conditions required to classify each subdivided area as autonomous are met. The areas that meet the conditions for the formation of 15-min cities as well as those that show deficiencies in amenities/facilities are depicted on a heatmap together with the number of these deficiencies. This methodology combines the advantages of sustainable development, smart mobility, and resource management. With an emphasis on the participatory process, the methodology proposes practical solutions for creating cities that enhance community cohesion, improve quality of life, and reduce the impact. The paper highlights the importance of applying such principles in contemporary city planning to achieve a sustainable, accessible, and thriving environment for residents.

The “X-minute city” concept is based on the principle of urban planning at the human-scale. In terms of mobility, main activities should be accessed within a range of a few minutes by bicycle or on foot, decreasing the dependency on mechanised and, namely, automobile transport. This is expected to have positive impacts on the quality of life and of the natural and built environment. Several cities worldwide, such as Paris, Montréal and Melbourne, are developing initiatives towards this direction. On the other hand, most small and medium sized cities in Greece have not yet engaged into similar projects. These cities present the competitive advantages of short time-distances by active transport to main activities and of the relatively simple structure of their transport network allowing for game-changing strategic interventions, adjustable to their specific features and needs. In this context, the current research presents the case study of Volos, a medium sized Greek city, with a twofold purpose, i.e.: The assessment of time-distance from all building blocks to main activities by active transport in terms of the X-minute criterion; and the suggestion of city-specific transport policies towards the implementation of the “X-minute city” planning approach. The assessment of time-distance derives entirely from the processing of open geospatial data. The main results indicate that walking and, especially, cycling may currently provide access to main activities within a range of 15–20 min from residence, but specific policies are essential to increase the attractiveness and safety of these modes.

Improving urban mobility and quality of life are priorities for many cities worldwide. To address these challenges, the concept of “superblocks” has emerged as a potential model that seeks to reorganize urban space to create more human-centered areas. In this context, the following research examines the implementation of superblocks in Thessaloniki. It aims to investigate the perception and influence rate of Thessaloniki residents regarding implementing superblocks in their urban environment. For this purpose, a questionnaire that included basic questions related to the influence of superblocks in general and the implementation of a superblock in Thessaloniki was used. The survey results present evidence of the acceptance and effectiveness of superblocks in the Thessaloniki environment. In addition, they provide important information about the opinions and needs of the residents, highlighting the importance of understanding and considering these needs in urban planning. From the 165 people who answered the questionnaire, it was found that only 60.0% were aware of the concept of superblocks. After getting familiar with the concept in the frame of the questionnaire, it was found that such an intervention would be widely accepted, changing the travel habits of the participants. A percentage of 69.7% agree or strongly agree with the proposed intervention, while the vast majority, i.e., 93.9%, want green spaces, such as parks and gardens, in the place of the liberated public space.

Rapid technological advancements in transport sector create new opportunities and unforeseen challenges for urban development through the introduction of New Mobility Services (NMS). Autonomous road vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles are currently tested for integration in the urban context, while micromobility is gradually becoming part of daily mobility in many cities worldwide. From planner’s perspective, implementation of these new modes of transportation should aim at the promotion of sustainable urban development. However, there are three main obstacles towards an evidence-based impact assessment of these modes, i.e.: Current scarcity of empirical data and experience; diversity of potential effects, depending on their integration to the urban transport system as shared or private modes; and extent of potential implications, which affect all pillars of urban sustainability. Based on literature review, present research collects, discusses and organizes these effects under the pillars of mobility and space, as well as the ones of social, economic and environmental sustainability into a comprehensive indicator framework. Purpose of this framework is to increase readiness of stakeholders to monitor, assess and evaluate future effects of these new transport modes under the above-mentioned pillars. Moreover, present framework aims at illustrating suitability of each area for the implementation of each one of the examined mobility innovations.

Accidents at level crossings account for a significant percentage of railway accidents worldwide. The level crossing is the point where two modes of transport meet, namely road and rail, which means that it poses a safety problem for both modes of transport. Even though more attention is paid to passive level crossings, serious accidents and collisions with half-barriers or barriers still occur at active level crossings. This study aims to determine what factors and data are required for effective infrastructure monitoring and planning for active and passive level crossings. QGIS (Quantum Geographic Information System) is used to collect, map and analyse the data. Data on traffic accidents at level crossings was gathered for each level crossing within the study area. The study area was limited to the city of Zagreb, Croatia. The result of the study is a set of parameters for GIS-based data collecting that can be easily implemented in a large-scale railway network. It can be used in various areas, such as determining accident black spots, infrastructure maintenance or planning safety improvements and new railway infrastructure. Future work will focus on the expansion of the network and the development of preventive measures to reduce traffic accidents at level crossings.

In many European cities, public spaces are transformed towards more livable areas that promote active mobility and reduce car traffic. A great variety of approaches aims to evaluate individual projects. Given the diversity in methods, indicators used, sample sizes, observation periods as well as spatial expansions of the area under investigation, it is difficult to merge results from different case studies . Consequently, deriving general trends is challenging. We set up a methodology using big data from mobile phones to assess the effect on pedestrian frequency. This indicator works as proxy for the effect of street redistribution and traffic calming. We test the method by evaluating the development over time and space in three district centers from 2019 to 2023 in Berlin, Germany. One of these streets has been redesigned in favor of active mobility and quality of stay while the other two remain unchanged and are used to set a context. Results show a much higher increase in visits in the street that has been redesigned. Added value of this contribution is the development of a comparable and transferable evaluation method that is able to assess the impacts of transformations in public areas.

A successful traffic management in urban areas undoubtedly determines improvements in life quality. In addition to delays and discomfort for users, traffic congestion has negative impacts on safety and environment. Consequently, the availability of an effective traffic management system is crucial for local administrations and transport operators to make urban mobility and quality of services more efficient. Given this framework, this paper focuses on the development of a decision support system for urban traffic management based on traffic optimization through a local approach for solving the signal setting design of each individual intersection applying equisaturation policy. This problem is addressed as operational planning, thus requiring the simulation of demand-supply interaction performed with dynamic assignment. The procedure occurs automatically through specific Python programming language codes applying both online and offline control strategies for managing non-recurring and recurring traffic situations, respectively. In the latter, the signal setting design results from combined solution of assignment and control issues. The procedure was tested on a real case study concerning 48 signalized intersections in Rome, Italy. Both online and offline applications show performance improvements in terms of delay reduction up to 14% and 20%, respectively. In addition, offline strategies appear sensitive to stability of simulation results and accuracy level of dynamic assignment, so allowing the evaluation of both these variables within the set calculation time. Overall, results confirm the potential of the proposed system, easily transferable to any context and transport network, as a practical tool for automatically and successfully optimizing urban signal plans.

Tourists have specific mobility needs and requirements. Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, and currently, it faces a growth in tourist flows. Apart from active mobility, public transport is the main mode of transport that tourists use. In order to assess and optimize the specific mobility needs and requirements of tourists, we conducted a Conjoint Analysis using the Choice-Based Conjoint (CBC) technique, in which 63 tourists participated, but there were only 36 complete answers. The sample seems to be low, but it can be considered sufficient due to the low population of tourists and the fact that CBC does not require a specific sample to achieve statistical significance. The results regarding the importance of the attributes were as follows: i) Schedules and route information provision: 36.4%; ii) Waiting time at bus stop: 23.3%; iii) Space and seating: 22.5%; iv) Walking time to get to the bus stop from home: 14.4%; and iv) Price: 3.4%. Obviously, tourists in Thessaloniki need schedules and route information provision and do not want to wait long at bus stops, while, surprisingly, they do not care so much about the ticket price. Moreover, a market simulation was conducted where it was found that a new proposed scenario, which was not even the best one, would have approximately 69.4% market penetration compared to 21.6% of the current situation. In conclusion, cities should focus on providing travel information, short waiting times at bus stops, and low bus crowdedness to increase tourist flows.

Research was conducted on optimizing the seaplane transportation system in Greece using the Choice-Base Conjoint Analysis method. Due to its geographical morphology and its level of touristic development, Greece is considered an ideal country for using seaplanes. A sample of 216 people were asked questions related to the utility of seaplanes, the quality of seaplane services, and seaplanes’ quality characteristics as set mainly by the Greek business world but also by their standards of use from foreign tourist countries in the field of touristic services. The results were the basis for designing scenarios simulated in market conditions. These scenarios were evaluated in comparison to each other regarding their quality characteristics and the scale of their appeal to the public regarding their contribution to a more effective use of seaplanes. It was found that the optimal seaplane transport system is as follows: The seaplane capacity consists of 18 persons, the frequency of the flights is three (3) times per day, no intermediate stop is interposed, the departure times are in the afternoon, and the cost of the ticket is equal to the cost of traveling by car. The attributes were found to have the following importance: (i) ticket cost, 45.13%; (ii) density of the flight, 21.76%; (iii) intermediate stops, 15.61%; (iv) capacity and size of the seaplane, 11.14%; and (v) departure times, 6.35%. This optimal system gathered 77.28% of respondents who prefer it over the base system, with a rate of 22.72%.

Innovation in the transport sector is evolving tremendously with the existence of new disruptive technologies, such as connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), electric vehicles (EVs), and new innovative business models like car sharing, on demand transport and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS). This paper aims to explore the impacts of the aforementioned innovations, on different parts of future transport systems and urban structure, by investigating expert’s views on a number of issues using the Delphi method. There are many advantages to this method, due to the fact that respondents are anonymous and dominant experts do not influence answers of other participants. This survey was international as it included experts from seven different countries around the globe and also the participants were either practitioners in the field or working in academia, elements which are central because they provide diversity in terms of views and consensus in different questions. The indicators selected for the creation of the questionnaire were related to either transport, land use or socioeconomic characteristics and in order to ensure consistency in the survey, multiple-choice questions were conducted and consensus was achieved when the probability of occurrence surpassed 50%. Two rounds were carried out and some indicative conclusions are related to changes in value of time, car ownership, road capacity, trip generation, accessibility and land use impacts of these innovations. The conclusions from this analysis can contribute to a better understanding of different impacts that occur from disruptive technologies and can be essential for policy makers, transport practitioners, urban planners and researchers.

Nowadays, the environmental sustainability of human activities is a widely debated topic in the context of social and economic development. Especially in the transport sector, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution, several efforts have been adopted aimed at addressing these environmental challenges, such as new technological solutions in the automotive sector, the implementation of the EURO standards and improvements in road surfaces and pavements. This study provides a contribution to the enhancement of air quality in the areas close to the road infrastructures, with the aim of reducing both air and noise pollution due to private road transport, by managing and controlling traffic flow through different actions and specific policies. These strategies are designed to influence users towards adopting more sustainable driving behaviours. In this paper, several traffic management solutions will be analyzed, combining different policies that act on traffic dynamics, involving the project’s variables in different ways. These policies will include progressive reduction of speed limits, lane openings and closures based on vehicle classes, and changes in the composition and volume of vehicle fleets. Results obtained from an extensive laboratory test campaign conducted on a real network will be discussed to identify the effects of actions and policies on air pollution, noise, and travel time. Finally, the study will propose a procedure to optimize the environmental performance of the system. This optimization will consider not only the environmental aspects but also the overall performance and level of service of the infrastructure.

In recent years, passenger and freight mobility are no longer addressed separately. As European cities are hardly pressed to transmit to smart and zero emission functional urban areas, mobility solutions and services are designed under one lens, supporting a strong inter-modal and inter- sectoral passenger and freight integration, in accordance with the “Green Paper on Urban Mobility” suggestions. Under this framework, the novel concept of “multimodal mobility hubs” has been put forward, proposing an innovative approach according to which, various sustainable transport modes are connected in a single location, for serving “last mile” delivery of people and goods, satisfying also needs of local communities. But, how can cities design, implement and operate successful and long-term multimodal hubs? Are there general design rules to be followed? Which is the appropriate location to be put in place? How accessibility and security are guaranteed? What governance and financing issues should be addressed? How the appropriate synergies can be achieved? In an effort to address these inquiries, the current study presents the Zero Emission Multimodal Mobility Hub (ZEMM-Hub) cycle, developed within the framework of MOVE21 EU2020 Horizon project, where different multimodal hubs were implemented and evaluated in three urban nodes of the Scandinavian TEN-T corridor. Based on insights and experience gained, the paper presents a methodology set up mainly inspired by the well-known Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan cycle. ZEMM-Hub cycle, aims to guide cities in designing and implementing hubs to reach their goals and transmit to smart and zero emission functional urban areas.

This study advocates for promoting public transportation to alleviate traffic congestion and emissions in city centers. It introduces a zoning plan with designated parking at four points around each zone. Those using public transport from farther parking spots would get discounts at city center shops, and the parking ticket would grant access to city services. This aims to reduce congestion, pollution, and enhance public transport efficiency. The proposed model focuses on implementing this strategy in the greater area of Thessaloniki, dividing the city into three zones. Each zone will offer varying discounts of 5% (Zone 1), 10% (Zone 2), and 15% (Zone 3), with the highest discount reserved for Zone 3, situated farthest from the city center. To validate the effectiveness of our approach, the future plan is to construct a detailed model and conduct a comprehensive survey of stakeholders. The insights gained from the survey will contribute valuable data to support the efficacy of the proposed zoning strategy. By implementing this innovative solution, a positive impact on the overall urban environment is anticipated, with reduced traffic congestion, lower pollution levels, and improved public transportation utilization.

Micro-mobility initiatives, such as bike-sharing and e-scooter systems, play a crucial role in addressing transportation challenges and reducing carbon emissions. A growing number of public and private operators deploy micro-mobility sharing schemes, while at the same time multiple universities globally adopt micro-mobility schemes to increase their campus sustainability. This study evaluates an e-scooter sharing system pilot program within the campus of the National Centre for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’ (NCSRD). In collaboration with Hopp Greece and Evedima Greece, six e-scooters were placed inside the campus, available for employees and researchers to use free of charge. The aim of this research is to enhance transportation efficiency, reduce car usage, and contribute to carbon emission reduction. By the end of the first phase of the pilot, 17.4 kg of CO2 were prevented from being released into the environment, indicating that the environmental benefits of more extensive usage could be significant for the campus’ levels of sustainability. This study underscores the success and challenges of implementing shared scooter initiatives in closed environments, emphasizing their potential as sustainable commuting solutions for short trips.

Transport contributes to 24% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, leading to urban issues such as traffic congestion, car exhaust pollution, and energy shortages. Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and ridesharing are viewed as essential complements to other transportation modes, particularly in addressing energy and climate challenges. With the imperative of achieving climate neutrality by 2040, there is a growing interest in MaaS and ridesharing to reduce emissions. Ridesharing plays a significant role in the transition to sustainable mobility. The use of information channels is a good way of making ridesharing services attractive to users and offering the best possible services. While acceptance of shared rides is gradually increasing, changing behavior remains a challenge. In the MUST (Multimodal Traffic Management by Merging Innovative Communication Channels) project, we aim to optimize communication channels for impactful information delivery. Additionally, the goal is to enhance the routine commute, characterized by local knowledge and fixed or changing travel times. The main objectives of the MUST project are to directly and indirectly influence mobility behavior in terms of climate and environmentally friendly traffic management through traffic avoidance, modal shift and traffic improvement. One of our aims is to test which combinations of information can be used to convey transport information across target groups in order to achieve positive effects.

This research paper introduces ENIGMA, an innovative platform designed to support decision-making and monitor CO2 levels within Thessaloniki's urban environment. ENIGMA serves as a versatile tool that integrates data from various urban elements, such as infrastructure, buildings, traffic and green spaces, utilizing advanced algorithms to extract valuable insights into CO2 emissions. The primary focus of the paper delves into ENIGMA's pivotal role in the transportation sector, exploring methodologies of transitioning to electric public transport and vehicles. The electrification initiative discussed involves calculating the cost of replacing conventional fleets with electric vehicles and quantifying the resultant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. ENIGMA's user-friendly interface enables stakeholders to simulate and assess scenarios, such as replacing municipal fleets and transitioning the urban bus fleet in Thessaloniki to electric buses. The presented findings underscore ENIGMA's integral value in environmental planning, particularly in enhancing the sustainability of urban transportation systems. This investigation emphasizes the platform's potential contribution to urban environmental strategies, positioning ENIGMA as a vital tool for promoting ecological resilience and sustainable urbanization. Additionally, ENIGMA's capabilities can contribute to achieving climate neutrality by effectively managing CO2 emissions and promoting renewable energy sources.

In recent years, innovative mobility services have had a growing presence in cities around the world. As cities strive to navigate this dynamic landscape of novel mobility solutions, the need for robust impact assessment frameworks has become of high importance for public authorities and stakeholders. This paper aims to present an impact assessment framework developed for the evaluation of public transport-centered mobility solutions, such as multimodal hubs, establishment of low-emission zones, congestion charging schemes, implementation of bike sharing schemes, in 11 European Cities. It outlines the evaluation methods used to assess activities during the demonstrations, investigating the success of adopted measures in domains such as public transport ridership, user satisfaction, and environmental impact. Key Performance indicators (KPIs) tailored for each city are defined based on an extensive literature review and the specific needs of each city. The evaluation framework includes methods of measuring and monitoring the implementation of the measures while also providing guidelines for effective data collection and sharing. The unique value of the paper lies in its methodology for measuring and monitoring the impact of innovative mobility solutions in 11 European cities with diverse mobility status and urban setting.

The purpose of this paper is to present and analyze approaches for sustainable urban mobility in the Petroșani Basin mining area in comparison to other current and former mining areas in Europe. Sustainable urban transport is important as cities face increasing challenges in their mobility systems, such as congestion, air quality, ambient noise, CO2 and NOx emissions. EU policy on how cities can reduce emissions and improve mobility mainly focuses on using public transport, walking and cycling. Thus, priority is given to zero-emission solutions for urban fleets, including taxi and on-demand transport services, the construction and modernization of multimodal nodes, as well as digital services. The research methodology includes the analysis of specialized literature, the analysis of real situations of sustainable urban mobility from the Petroșani Basin and other mining areas in Europe and a mobility study of the residents of the Petroșani Basin every day for a week, tracking the objectives of the trips, the number of trips in a day and the mode of travel. In order to develop effective sustainable transport strategies, it is necessary for policy makers to understand the possible actions and measures that need to be taken for successful planning, regulation and implementation of public transport.

This paper calculates the carbon footprint of the port of Thessaloniki. This calculation is a key criterion for assessing environmental pollution and, more specifically, for determining GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The calculation was realized using the World Ports Climate Initiative (WPCI) software. It consists of three steps: a) Scope 1: Direct port sources (sources under the direct control and management of the Port Authority), b) Scope 2: Indirect port sources (sources which include whatever was bought by the Port Authority, e.g., state buildings and enterprises), and c) Scope 3: Other indirect sources (sources that are usually connected with the operations of the personnel). The results show that the CO2 sources in the Port of Thessaloniki are mainly the fuel consumption of the merchant ships in the port, the vehicles, the cargo handling equipment, and even the buildings. A first step towards the reduction of CO2 emission could be the installation of solar panels in the port, exploiting the large available areas and conforming to the environmentally friendly policy of the Port of Thessaloniki. In the future, measures should be taken to control the performance of several installations and (constructions and machinery), e.g., the type of equipment, vehicles, cranes, etc. used. Finally, this paper analyzes the climate change phenomenon and the relevant main legislative frameworks valid on a global, European, and national level.

The European Commission states the mission of the New European Bauhaus (NEB) as the initiative that wants to connect the European Green Deal to the living spaces. It calls to create together a sustainable, beautiful, and inclusive future. Given this new target, the Creating Actionable Futures (CrAFt) European project wants to support the implementation of the NEB principles in the cities. The consortium starts to develop the CrAFt’s NEB Impact Model as a guidance tool oriented to a systemic approach to be adopted in complex urban interventions. In that sense, the cities can use their existing indicator sets for integrated planning and sustainable goals. This paper aims to analyze the applicability of a new methodology for the assessment of urban mobility based on the Impact Model tool. The pilot case in Bologna is analyzed to define the impact of urban transformation that has been realized in the Multi-functional Urban District of Bologna (DumBO). DumBO is a space of continuous transformation in which an urban regeneration space, where an old freight yard have been addressed to culture, art, social activities in close relation with the territory culture, sociability and sustainability. Thus, it is a place where associations, business companies and citizens collaborate and contaminate each other. The research examines indicators, starting by the sustainable mobility, the active and the public transport KPIs. In this way, this set of indicators will contribute to the assessment of aspects related to mobility, This research will help the decision-makers to assess and promote sustainable solutions through this set of indicators that clarifies complex aspects during the urban regeneration process.

Climate crisis directly affects key aspects in the field of Transport, Shipping, and Logistics (TSL). Weather-related disruptions to transportation networks, rising sea levels impacting shipping routes and ports, and the growing demand for eco-friendly logistics solutions in response to environmental concerns are some challenges that must be addressed. The objective of this paper is to provide educational stakeholders with a reference point for creating innovative, student-centered programs that integrate the latest technological developments while instilling a commitment to climate change mitigation. In this direction, after identifying and assessing successful teaching approaches that align with the evolving demands of TSL education, a thorough analysis of existing academic programs was conducted. Specifically, a systematic approach, considering several criteria, to select the programs was employed. Primary factors that were taken under consideration, included alignment with research goals, explicit commitment to technological advancements and sustainability in TSL, preference for accredited institutions with a strong reputation and curricula that ensure coverage of relevant topics in technology and climate change mitigation within TSL. The analysis highlighted the need for more advanced teaching methods in climate change education, particularly in transportation and logistics. Existing courses could better leverage technology for practical problem-solving. Moreover, there's a lack of comprehensive programs addressing decarbonization and climate resilience in transport. This underscores the opportunity for specialized educational programs to bridge this gap, addressing technical, management, and policy aspects of climate change in the field of TSL. The analysis concludes with a proposed methodological approach for curriculum design.

With the urge to reduce car use, shared micro-mobility services like electric kick scooters and electric bicycles can be an appropriate alternative means of transport to cars for short distances. In combination with public transit, sharing micro-mobility schemes provide an area-efficient and flexible means of transport. Especially on the outskirts of a city or smaller towns, sharing micro-vehicles can serve as a feeder to local train stations. In the process of implementing those sharing schemes into the existing transport system that uses mostly narrow sidewalks, the requirements of various groups of interest play a crucial role in this integration. Hence, there is still a gap in research in terms of collaboration between providers and municipalities, especially when implementing the shared micro-mobility service in a municipality for the first time. Hence, this paper investigates which requirements are necessary for both parties as pivotal key factors for a functioning and socially accepted shared micro-mobility service. As part of a living lab approach, multiple station designs and pricing as well as different vehicles (e-kick-scooters and e-bikes) were tested over a period of nine to eleven months between 2022 and 2023 on the outskirts of Berlin. By conducting seven expert interviews with the relevant stakeholders, important findings could be derived. Based on seven expert interviews with the relevant stakeholders, important insights were gained. A dense network of stations located close to public transport is seen as useful for integration into public transport. A lack of communication before and during implementation can jeopardize acceptance.

The e-commerce sector has recently undergone considerable growth, causing various challenges related to last mile logistics and the accessibility of pick-up points (PUPs). In general, they enable the mitigation of certain crucial challenges facing the logistics sector, such as delivery fails and returns. The purpose of this article is to examine an example of a network of PUPs in Southern Europe, despite the fact that there are noteworthy examples from Northern Europe in the literature. The proposed methodology involves the analysis of the accessibility of PUPs, taking into account the 5-min isochrone, as well as the characterization of the activities that host them. The article uses as case study the network of pick-up points of the main e-commerce operator in Italy, in a medium-sized city in Sicily (<60,000 inhabitants) such as Acireale. According to the results, there is a reasonable distribution of pick-up points in the central areas that are easily accessible on foot, but there is a poor distribution and, for the most part, a need of using private vehicles in the suburbs. It is worth mentioning that the inhomogeneity of distribution is related to geographical reasons. The work lays the groundwork for further research; the formulation of resilient strategies and actions to be carried out by logistics companies, ideas concerning the optimization of deliveries, and concurrently, the attention given to accessibility aspects related to the last mile delivery by public administrators and planners.

The Transition Super-Lab (TSL) is a new approach that considers entire regions as living laboratories organized to accelerate the transformation towards climate neutrality through innovation and cross sectorial synergies on a regional scale. It benefits from a collaborative governance, operates in accordance to systemic transformation principles and utilizes transition enabling methods and tools in order to create added value to cross-sectorial initiatives for economic transformation and to provide feasible solutions to complex regional transformation challenges. The current paper aims to present a high-level understanding of the transition process explaining how the TSL approach is being implemented in the region of Western Macedonia in Greece. Based on the transition model that has been developed as a conceptual framework that defines the overall approach and the guiding principles for managing the transition, the region of Western Macedonia follows a structured path that encompasses various steps. The definition of the vision and goals of change, the coalition building of the stakeholders involved and the development of an action plan for achieving climate neutrality through pilot actions are some of the steps followed by the region for a successful transition.

The integration of shared mobility modes into the transportation systems of European cities is continuously growing, providing an alternative option for sustainable mobility. Being implemented mostly in urban environment of Europe’s context, the peculiarities of an island are not taken into account in the frame of any research and policy recommendations available. The aim of this paper is to investigate the drivers and barriers for shared mobility on the scale of an island during both the planning and the operational phase, especially focusing on the North Aegean Region. The identification of factors that enable or hinder the adoption/success of shared systems on an island, as well as the respective conclusions were based on the methodological approach that capitalizes the stakeholders’ perspective. For this purpose, an interview was delivered to 15stakeholders of the Region while the development of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) allowed for a systematic evaluation of critical parameters that affect the implementation of shared mobility. This method compared with the results of the current mobility status of the island as well as the gaps that are identified by the stakeholders provided very interesting insights of the research. Results suggest that prioritizing technological advancements and enhancing user comfort can significantly boost the acceptance and efficiency of shared mobility services while confirm the need for different approach and adaptation of shared mobility aspects to the peculiarities of an islandic context in order to ensure the operational sustainability.