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Managing Urban Mobility during Big Events through Living Lab Approach

Urban transportation systems encounter distinctive challenges during planned major city events characterized by large gatherings that disrupt traffic patterns. The surge in private car usage for attending such events leads to a sudden increase in traffic, unauthorized parking, pollutant emissions, and risks to pedestrian safety in the vicinity of the event venue. This study delves into the challenges and advantages of employing Decision Support Systems (DSSs) to manage urban mobility during special urban events with the goal of reducing car dependency and promoting sustainable transportation options. The proposed methodology for designing and testing the DSS is based on the living lab principles of co-planning, co-implementing, co-monitoring, co-validating, and co-reviewing with engaged stakeholders. Moreover, testing of the DSS measures in real-world cases (i.e., during a football match at the San Siro Stadium and a concert at the Alcatraz music hall in the city of Milan, Italy) highlights the potential of the DSS in reducing the use of individual private cars in favor of shared mobility and micro-mobility solutions. As a result, the living lab has proven to be a valuable tool for interacting with stakeholders from the outset of brainstorming ideas for potential transport policies to their practical implementation, with the goal of bridging the gap between what decision-makers believe should be done, what transport operators can feasibly do, and what users desire and expect to be done. The insights presented in this paper contribute to the debate on leveraging technology to cultivate more efficient, resilient, and livable urban environments.

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A Modular Architecture of Command-and-Control Software in Multi-Sensor Systems Devoted to Public Security

Preventing terrorist attacks at soft targets has become a priority for our society. The realization of sensor systems for automatic threat detection in crowded spaces, such as airports and metro stations, is challenged by the limited sensing coverage capability of the devices in place due to the variety of dangerous materials, to the scanning rate of the devices, and to the detection area covered. In this context, effectiveness of the physical configuration of the system based on the detectors used, the coordination of the sensor data collection, and the real time data analysis for threat identification and localization to enable timely reactions by the security guards are essential requirements for such integrated sensor-based applications. This paper describes a modular distributed architecture of a command-and-control software, which is independent from the specific detectors and where sensor data fusion is supported by two intelligent video systems. Furthermore, the system installation can be replicated at different locations of a public space. Person tracking and later re-identification in a separate area, and tracking hand-over between different video components, provide the command-and-control with localization information of threats to timely activate alarm management and support the activity of subsequent detectors. The architecture has been implemented for the NATO-funded DEXTER program and has been successfully tested in a big city trial at a metro station in Rome both when integrated with two real detectors of weapons and explosives and as a stand-alone system. The discussion focuses on the software functions of the command-and-control and on the flexibility and re-use of the system in wider settings.

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Near-Reference Air Quality Sensors Can Support Local Planning: A Performance Assessment in Milan, Italy

At present, 4.2 million deaths occur every year due to ambient air pollution, according to the World Health Organization. In view of reducing such a figure, air quality monitoring and reliable data are essential. Nevertheless, local authorities in urban environments, where pollution levels are highest, often face a dilemma. On the one hand, the high costs of reference monitors make their large-scale adoption prohibitive, while the easily scalable low-cost sensors often feature significantly lower data quality and lack of calibration. Near reference monitors have been voiced as a promising solution, as they exhibit limited costs, though specific studies assessing their performance against reference monitors are still lacking. This article provides an in-depth assessment of three near reference sensors’ stations performance, through their collocation with regional reference monitors from December 2021 onwards. Two sensors were positioned at high-traffic locations, while the third recorded background pollution levels in Milan, Italy. The sensors’ performance was quantified not only via the coefficient of determination (R2) and the regression model, but also with the Mean Normalized Bias (MNB) and median values. After a first measurement period, sensors were re-calibrated to also appraise their behavioral change, generally exhibiting a performance increase. Results show high correlation for all hourly-recorded pollutants, with peaks for Ozone (O3) (R2 = 0.94) and BC (R2 = 0.93). Although location-specific, such results show an interesting potential for near reference sensors in support of urban air quality planning.

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The climate change mitigation impacts of active travel: Evidence from a longitudinal panel study in seven European cities

Active travel (walking or cycling for transport) is considered the most sustainable and low carbon form of getting from A to B. Yet the net effects of changes in active travel on changes in mobility-related CO2 emissions are complex and under-researched. Here we collected longitudinal data on daily travel behavior, journey purpose, as well as personal and geospatial characteristics in seven European cities and derived mobility-related lifecycle CO2 emissions over time and space. Statistical modelling of longitudinal panel (n = 1849) data was performed to assess how changes in active travel, the ‘main mode’ of daily travel, and cycling frequency influenced changes in mobility-related lifecycle CO2 emissions.We found that changes in active travel have significant lifecycle carbon emissions benefits, even in European urban contexts with already high walking and cycling shares. An increase in cycling or walking consistently and independently decreased mobility-related lifecycle CO2 emissions, suggesting that active travel substituted for motorized travel – i.e. the increase was not just additional (induced) travel over and above motorized travel. To illustrate this, an average person cycling 1 trip/day more and driving 1 trip/day less for 200 days a year would decrease mobility-related lifecycle CO2 emissions by about 0.5 tonnes over a year, representing a substantial share of average per capita CO2 emissions from transport. The largest benefits from shifts from car to active travel were for business purposes, followed by social and recreational trips, and commuting to work or place of education. Changes to commuting emissions were more pronounced for those who were younger, lived closer to work and further to a public transport station.Even if not all car trips could be substituted by active travel the potential for decreasing emissions is considerable and significant. The study gives policy and practice the empirical evidence needed to assess climate change mitigation impacts of urban transport measures and interventions aimed at mode shift to more sustainable modes of transport. Investing in and promoting active travel whilst ‘demoting’ private car ownership and use should be a cornerstone of strategies to meet ‘net zero’ carbon targets, particularly in urban areas, while also reducing inequalities and improving public health and quality of urban life in a post-COVID-19 world.

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Assessing the Policy Environment for Active Mobility in Cities-Development and Feasibility of the PASTA Cycling and Walking Policy Environment Score.

The importance of setting a policy focus on promoting cycling and walking as sustainable and healthy modes of transport is increasingly recognized. However, to date a science-driven scoring system to assess the policy environment for cycling and walking is lacking. In this study, spreadsheet-based scoring systems for cycling and walking were developed, including six dimensions (cycling/walking culture, social acceptance, perception of traffic safety, advocacy, politics and urban planning). Feasibility was tested using qualitative data from pre-specified sections of semi-standardized interview and workshop reports from a European research project in seven cities, assessed independently by two experts. Disagreements were resolved by discussions of no more than 75 minutes per city. On the dimension “perception of traffic safety”, quantitative panel data were used. While the interrater agreement was fair, feasibility was confirmed in general. Validity testing against social norms towards active travel, modal split and network length was encouraging for the policy area of cycling. Rating the policy friendliness for cycling and walking separately was found to be appropriate, as different cities received the highest scores for each. Replicating this approach in a more standardized way would pave the way towards a transparent, evidence-based system for benchmarking policy approaches of cities towards cycling and walking.

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The climate change mitigation impacts of active travel: Evidence from a longitudinal panel study in seven European cities

Abstract Active travel (walking or cycling for transport) is generally good for health, the environment and the economy. Yet the net effects of changes in active travel on changes in mobility-related CO2 emissions are complex and under-researched. Here we collected longitudinal data on daily travel behavior, mode choice, as well as personal and geospatial characteristics in seven European cities and derived mobility-related lifecycle CO2 emissions from daily travel activity over time and space. Fixed- and mixed-effects modelling of longitudinal panel data (n=1849) was performed to assess the associations between changes in lifecycle CO2 emissions and changes in transport mode use (primary exposure), main mode of travel, and cycling frequency (secondary exposures). Daily mobility-related lifecycle CO2 emissions were 2.8 kgCO2 per person at baseline, with car travel contributing 69% and cycling 1%. At follow-up, mobility-related lifecycle CO2 emissions were -0.52 (95%CI -0.82 to -0.21) kgCO2/day lower per additional cycling trip, -0.41 (95%CI -0.69 to -0.12) kgCO2/day lower per additional walking trip, and -2.11 (95%CI -1.78 to -2.43) kgCO2/day lower per ‘avoided’ car trip. An average person cycling 1 trip/day more and driving 1 trip/day less for 200 days a year would decrease mobility-related lifecycle CO2 emissions by about 0.5 tonnes over a year. Those who changed from ‘not cycling’ to ‘cycling’ decreased daily CO2 emissions by -2.54 (95%CI -3.90 to -1.17) kgCO2/day. Mobility-related CO2 emissions decreased by -9.28 (95%CI -11.46 to -7.11) kg/day for those who changed their ‘main mode’ from car, van or motorbike to active travel. Extensive sensitivity analyses by city, journey purpose and key personal characteristics largely confirmed our results. Active travel is shown to substitute for motorized travel, with significant climate change mitigation effects. Even if not all car trips could be substituted by active travel the potential for decreasing emissions is considerable and significant. Investing in and promoting active travel should therefore be a cornerstone of strategies to meet net zero carbon targets, particularly in urban areas, while also improving public health and quality of urban life.

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