Evaluating sustainability and innovation of mobility patterns in Spanish cities. Analysis by size and urban typology

Abstract

The development of sustainable transport networks is of particular interest in the field of smart cities, and many promising initiatives have been proposed over the years. However, there is still little agreement as to the appropriate definition of smart urban mobility. What is really meant by ‘smart’? The paper examines this question and assesses the notion of smart urban mobility as a combination of sustainability and innovation. This approach offers a comprehensive and practical framework for benchmarking cities in accordance with the smartness of their transportation systems. The methodology is based on the identification of quantitative indicators that evaluate urban mobility through a synthetic parameter known as the Smart Mobility Index. Although this Index can be applied to any city worldwide, the research focuses on the Spanish context, with a selection of six cases of different sizes and urban typologies. The results highlight the features that most influence the smartness of a city’s mobility, and can be used to design the appropriate transport policies. Finally, the cities are ranked according to the performance of their smart transportation systems.