Identifying and Prioritizing Sustainable Urban Mobility Barriers through a Modified Delphi-AHP Approach

Konstantina Anastasiadou,Nikolaos Gavanas,Christos Pyrgidis,Magda Pitsiava-Latinopoulou

doi:10.3390/su131810386

Konstantina Anastasiadou, Nikolaos Gavanas + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810386

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Abstract

Sustainable urban mobility has been the epicenter both at the scientific and administrative level during the last decades, with a high number of relevant research projects, awareness campaigns, and other initiatives taking place at the local, national, and international level. However, many urban areas have so far achieved limited results in this direction because of political, institutional, organizational, technological, infrastructural, and socio-economic barriers as well as unforeseeable (e.g., COVID-19) conditions. The overall aim of the present research study is to support policy-making by proposing a methodology that identifies and prioritizes the sustainable mobility barriers for a specific urban area, with a view to developing effective policies. Towards this purpose, this work provides, in the first phase, a comprehensive inventory of barriers based on a literature review. In the second phase, a methodology using as a basic scientific tool a modified Delphi-AHP is proposed for the adaptation of this inventory to a specific urban area and for both the evaluation and prioritization of sustainable mobility barriers. The whole process is then applied in Thessaloniki, Greece, a European city suffering from many problems related to sustainable mobility. The above pilot application confirms that this approach can be integrated as a supporting tool in the first steps of sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs).

Highlights

It should be highlighted that apart from the current research study, the only available recent study that aimed to prioritize the problems in urban mobility for the city is the main deliverable of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan of Thessaloniki [62]
The present research study aims to support policy-making by proposing a methodology that identifies and prioritizes the sustainable mobility barriers for a specific urban area
This work provides, in the first phase, a comprehensive inventory of barriers based on a literature review. This inventory is further adapted to the conditions of an urban area and the sustainable mobility barriers for this area are both evaluated and prioritized through a modified Delphi-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach

Summary

Introduction

Nowadays urban areas constitute 55% of the world’s population, with an increase to almost 70% expected by 2050 [1]. The above evidence suggests that the urban transport system plays an important role to address the increasing mobility needs of cities. The challenge of effectively coping with the growing mobility demand, at the least possible economic, social, and environmental cost for today and the future, comprises the main goal of sustainable transport policy over the last three decades [4]. Towards this goal, various models, systems, methodologies, techniques, guidelines, and awareness campaigns are being developed worldwide [5,6]

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