Smart Mobility in Smart City: A Critical Review of the Emergence of the Concept. Focus on Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Today, half of the world’s population lives in urban areas where information and communication technology (ICT) are natural catalysts for innovations. Progressing urbanization requires improved urban planning and management to make urban spaces more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, as outlined in SDG11. The concept of smart city offers a way of reconciling the diversity of challenges that the urban space is exposed to today, whereby ICT is considered a tool in this respect. Arguably, smart cities create the opportunity to integrate advances in ICT in the fabric of the city, thus creatively and innovatively provide improved quality of life. The domains of mobility, economy, environment, etc. are just a few examples. The objective of this paper is to focus on the domain of mobility in the smart city and to examine it from a historical perspective, i.e. starting by introducing the concept of smart mobility and its role in creating smart cities, identifying the related technologies and challenges, exploring the different types of smart mobility, and outlining international initiatives. The application of smart mobility in the Saudi Arabia context is highlighted.