Sustainable mobility

Deutsch: Nachhaltige Mobilität, Español: Movilidad Sostenible, Português: Mobilidade Sustentável, Français: Mobilité Durable, Italiano: Mobilità Sostenibile

Sustainable mobility in the environmental context refers to a transportation system that is environmentally friendly, economically viable, and socially equitable. Its goal is to meet the needs of society for movement and access without producing excessive negative impacts on the environment or compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own mobility needs.

Definition and General Significance

Sustainable mobility is a holistic concept that encompasses technology, planning, and behavior change:

1. Low Impact: It prioritizes modes of transport that have minimal emissions (carbon dioxide, pollutants) and low resource consumption (energy, land, and materials).

2. Accessibility and Equity: It ensures that all people, regardless of income, age, or ability, have affordable and safe access to employment, education, and services.

3. Efficiency: It focuses on moving people and goods, not just vehicles, emphasizing efficiency gains through higher occupancy (public transit, carpooling) and better logistics.

Important Aspects to Consider

Achieving sustainable mobility requires a systemic shift across several key areas:

• Decarbonization of Vehicles (Technology): Transitioning away from fossil-fuel vehicles to zero-emission options, primarily electric vehicles (EVs), powered by renewable energy. This includes passenger cars, buses, trucks, and rail.

• Mode Shift (Planning): Encouraging a shift from private automobiles to public transportation, active modes (walking and cycling), and shared mobility services (carsharing, bikesharing). This requires significant investment in supporting infrastructure.

• Urban Planning and Land Use: Designing cities to be compact and mixed-use, reducing the need for long-distance travel. This involves creating walkable neighborhoods and placing residences near transit hubs (Transit-Oriented Development, TOD).

• Behavioral Change: Promoting a culture where sustainable options are convenient, attractive, and seen as the norm, often through policy interventions like congestion pricing or improved non-motorized infrastructure.

Examples

• Integrated Public Transport Systems: Cities with efficient, interconnected networks of buses, trains, and subways (e.g., Zurich or Curitiba) that make car ownership unnecessary for most trips.

• Bicycle Superhighways: Dedicated, high-quality, and often separated cycling routes that connect suburbs to city centers, encouraging long-distance commuter cycling.

• Last-Mile Logistics: Using cargo bikes or small electric vehicles for the final delivery stage in dense urban areas, reducing traffic congestion and local air pollution.

Recommendations

To accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility:

• Prioritize Investment in Active and Public Transport: Allocate a greater proportion of transport funding to developing safe and extensive cycling and walking networks and high-quality, frequent public transit.

• Implement Demand Management Policies: Use tools like parking restrictions, low-emission zones, and dynamic road pricing to make the use of private, high-emission vehicles less attractive, thereby incentivizing the mode shift.

• Establish Digital Integration: Use smart technologies to create Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platforms that seamlessly integrate planning, booking, and payment for all sustainable transport options (bus, train, scooter, shared car).

• Standardize Charging Infrastructure: Rapidly expand and standardize the public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce range anxiety and accelerate adoption.

Related Terms

• Mobility as a Service (MaaS)

• Active Mobility

• Low-Emission Zone (LEZ)

• Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

• Decarbonization

Summary

Sustainable mobility describes a transport system that is environmentally responsible, economically sound, and socially fair, aiming to meet access needs with minimal impact. Key aspects involve the decarbonization of vehicles (transition to EVs), a significant mode shift to public and active transport, and strategic compact urban planning. Recommendations include prioritizing investment in active and public transport infrastructure, implementing demand management policies, and creating seamless digital integration (MaaS).

--