Smart Urban Mobility

Home to an ever growing share of the world’s population and facing dramatic and extremely dynamic social transformations, economic challenges and environmental problems, cities are undoubtedly the key arena of the history of the 21st century. As cities strive to be more and more attractive, sustainable and efficient, they must also become smarter. Related to this, no city can aspire to play a leading – global or local – role if its mobility system is not smart enough. Urban mobility becomes smart when smart actors take advantage of smart technology in the context of smart regulations, policies, plans and interactions.

In a smart mobility system, real-time big data is collected from, shared among and used by controllers, travellers, vehicles, and infrastructure. Local and global decision makers integrate and analyse data, make short and long-term predictions based on the resulting information, and take actions to improve travel experience and system operations while reducing the consumption of resources and the impact on the environment. Smart and connected (and in the next future driverless) vehicles; alternative fuel and electric vehicles; car and bike sharing schemes; vehicle tracking technologies; advanced traveler real-time information; smart booking, hailing and ticketing systems; communication through social media and virtual networks are but a few of the phenomena that characterise cities’ changing mobility paradigms; more will be developing. Nowadays people want to buy mobility packages and vehicles manufacturers are restyling themselves as mobility service providers. Further research is clearly needed in concepts, approaches, technologies and behaviors related to smart urban mobility systems.

The book aims to foster reflection on smart mobility in urban contexts. In particular the book includes: contributions areas on visions, policy and plans, case studies, evaluation, analysis and simulation of urban smart mobility systems. Topics include:

- New concepts, case studies, and benchmarking of smart urban mobility

- Agent behavior in smart urban mobility system

- Big data and advanced real-time traveler information in urban context

- Economic and environmental impacts of smart urban mobility

- Wider transport policy implications of smart urban mobility and on urban areas

- Institutional and legal aspects of smart urban mobility

This book will be of interest to transport planners, policy makers, transport and geography academics, and companies working in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems.