Future Mobile Research Articles

Unpacking mobility cultures: a review of conceptual definitions and empirical approaches

ABSTRACT While “Mobility Culture” is an emerging concept in transport science and policy, it is often defined and applied in different ways. We conducted a systematic literature review focusing on the definitions of the concept and how it has been approached empirically. We found that definitions of Mobility Culture are heterogeneous, often indirect and implicit, or missing entirely. We assigned papers to five definition groups based on similarity: (1) Objective and subjective characteristics, (2) subjective-only characteristics, (3) social groups and communities, (4) normative-sustainable notions of future transportation, and (5) papers lacking definitions. Among empirical papers, we identified three broader approaches: Comparative (e.g. city typologies or pre-and-post relocation studies), single-culture (e.g. place-specific mode choice, local discourses) and intervention studies. We discuss the suitability of these approaches for different research goals and how they relate to the definition groups. Overall, we observe a lack of conceptual clarity in the Mobility Culture discourse, which is also reflected in the frequent mismatch of definitions and empirical operationalisations. We recommend that future Mobility Culture definitions consistently acknowledge the phenomenon’s (i) complexity and multidimensionality, (ii) the relational character among its dimensions and attributes, and (iii) its sensibility for social and geographical differences.

Autonomous taxis and ride-sharing vehicles: A social construct perspective for future mobility and infrastructure readiness

Autonomous taxis and ride-sharing vehicles: A social construct perspective for future mobility and infrastructure readiness

Charge-on-the-move solutions for future mobility: A review of current and future prospects

Charge-on-the-move solutions for future mobility: A review of current and future prospects

When Generative AI Meets Semantic Communication: Optimizing Radio Map Construction and Distribution in Future Mobile Networks

When Generative AI Meets Semantic Communication: Optimizing Radio Map Construction and Distribution in Future Mobile Networks

Occupational classes and inequality in educational expenditures: Reproduction of social hierarchy through school education

We examine the role of educational expenditure in reproducing social hierarchy by focusing on occupational segmentation in India. Studies show quality of schools vary by medium of instruction (English/vernacular) and type of management (private/government) in terms of skills they impart to students. While these skills improve the prospects for students’ future upward mobility, educational expenditures vary across school types, with ‘better’ quality schools being more expensive. Educational expenditure is an important channel that shapes the pattern of school participation, which, in turn, may affect patterns of future mobility for children belonging to households located in a hierarchical occupational structure. Using data on school education and household occupational structure for 2007-08 and 2017-18, we classify schools based on their medium-of-instruction and type-of-management, and rank household types in terms of their primary occupation. Given the high economic growth and expansion of schooling opportunities during this period, an improvement in participation of low-ranked household types in ‘better’ schools may be expected, which may improve their future mobility prospects. Using a logistic regression framework, we, however, find that the correspondence between hierarchies of school-types and occupations have largely sustained, crucially mediated by educational expenditures incurred by households. Further investigation shows inequality in educational expenditures between household types has strengthened over this period. A decomposition of educational expenditures across household types shows that while some of the difference in expenditures is explained by the household characteristics in terms of their caste, religion, and educational status, the major part is attributed to differential returns to these characteristics that households reap due to their social positions. Given the structural nature of some of these characteristics, the inequality is likely to continue, thereby sustaining the correspondence between school and occupation types, which, in turn, is likely to reproduce the pattern of occupational and social hierarchy in India.JELI21, I24, I25, Z13

Contested future-making in containment: temporalities, infrastructures and agency

Containment, as a way of restricting mobilities, ranges from physical infrastructures to diffused control practices in everyday life. Alongside their physical, social, and political dimensions, such restrictions also engender various temporal borders and experiences of time particular to situations of containment. A prolific field of research has identified waiting and hope as strategies for both enforcing and surpassing containment. In response, anthropological research on future-making has highlighted a more diverse set of contextual and emergent practices that derive from imagining and realising migrants’ futures. Yet, in contrast to waiting, migrants’ future-making practices have seldom been related to containment. Besides containment informing future-making, migrants and control actors also manipulate time as they plan or experiment with futures to overcome or reinforce containment. Carrying elusive promises of a better future, containment infrastructures can also motivate migrants to stay put and accommodate restrictions to their mobility. This paper addresses how such different relational, often conflicting, practices of envisioning and realising migrant futures contribute to or subvert different types of containment. Building on empirical studies from Turkey, Niger and Kenya we suggest future-making as a relational, practice-oriented and contextual approach suited to trace the negotiation of migrant futures between migrants, control actors, and infrastructures in situations of spatiotemporal containment. We give special attention to resettlement as a form of containment due to its ability to limit mobility through promises of future mobility and its role in negotiating migrant futures. This article serves as a theoretical introduction into the emerging research field of contested future-making in containment and to the corresponding paper cluster.

“Fear for children”, Mother-Child Dyad and Future Mobility Trajectories of Displaced Ukrainians in Czechia and Poland: Children as a Factor for Fleeing and Living after the Full-Scale Invasion

This article addresses the issue of children’s care-receiving practices in the context of Ukrainian displacement in Czechia and Poland. Single mothers often need to care for their children alone, creating specific family power dynamics, especially in the setting of transnational reconfiguration, as fathers remain in Ukraine. This article aims to adopt the subjective bottom-up perception of connections associated with navigation in the new environment and shows that power dynamics is on the side of children as they are the dominant driver in the living arrangement in a new country and in the case of future mobility trajectories of the families. Using a qualitative methodology, drawing on 56 semi-structured interviews with Ukrainian displaced women in Czechia and Poland in 2023, this paper sheds light on the issue of family in the war situation. While studying the position of children in migration studies is not new, examining displaced family arrangements offers promising new insights into this topic. The focus on children will be provided from the perspective of Ukrainian female participants living in Czechia and Poland, using the concept of “doing family”.

How grid reinforcement costs differ by the income of electric vehicle users

The simultaneous charging of many electric vehicles in future mobility scenarios may lead to peaks and overloads threatening grid stability. The necessary infrastructure investments vary by the number and model type of vehicles driven and the residents’ charging preferences. These attributes significantly depend on socio-economic factors such as income. Using power flow simulations based on real-life driving profiles, we predict massive cost asymmetries with an investment demand up to 33-fold in higher-income compared to lower-income neighborhoods. Many grid operators may redistribute these costs through an across-the-board electricity price increase for all households. In times of rising electricity prices, these unwanted inequitable costing allocations could lead to severe challenges and energy poverty. Policymakers should consider countermeasures like dynamic electricity pricing schemes, income-based electric vehicle subsidies, or improved charging network access to ensure energy equity in future mobility scenarios. Our analysis of the impact of socio-economic factors on electric vehicle grid infrastructure and their quantification contributes to the energy equity discussion.

Autonomous and Electric Vehicles in Urban Living Labs: Smart Mobility Strategies for the Future

The deployment of electric, connected, and autonomous vehicles on public roads presents a significant challenge that can be addressed through previously established frameworks developed globally for implementing these technologies as part of an urban living lab (ULL). This systematic review, based on records from four distinct databases, focuses on projects that have conducted deployments of self-driving technologies in streets within urban environments. The review describes relevant information about various initiatives, including a classification of the stages of development reached according to the urban area covered, safety considerations, and lessons learned for optimal deployment. On-board sensing technology, digital infrastructure, and energy and communication systems emerge as the essential components of a ULL with autonomous vehicles (AVs). A crucial goal for smart cities is ensuring the scalability of large-scale deployments of such ULLs for safe, clean, and future mobility experimentation. This can only be achieved through effective coordination among academia, government, industry, and society to guarantee the successful integration of multiple projects in a unique environment.

Early prediction of functional mobility severity after stroke: two key milestones

BackgroundThe prognosis for functional recovery is crucial for discharge planning, optimizing healthcare resources and improving recovery chances. Prediction tools are key but must be usable from the beginning of rehabilitation and easy to use in clinical routine. Simple mobility milestones have shown predictive potential for stroke recovery. This study aims to identify the most efficient milestones for predicting the severity level of stroke patients' mobility at an early stage of recovery. MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study medical records from a private hospital were reviewed through convenience sampling. The data collected included the Standardized Five Questions, Functional Status Score for the Intensive Care Unit, Berg Balance Scale, and Modified Rankin Scale, all unified by the Complexity-Based Model for Categorizing Rehabilitation, establishing severity levels. To predict mobility severity levels at reevaluations, CHAID (Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detector) decision tree analysis and exact logistic regression analysis were employed. This involved using conventional mobility milestones alongside the clinical and demographic characteristics of the patients. Results50 patients met the criteria from admission (Evaluation 1: first week from stroke) to the first discharge point (Evaluation 2: second week from stroke). Only 25 patients remained for the second discharge point (Evaluation 3: fourth week from stroke). There were significant differences when comparing the functional assessments. The milestones “Sitting to standing” and “Sitting unsupported” were the most efficient predictors of future mobility complexity. Conclusions“Sitting balance” and “Sitting unsupported” were the best predictors. These simple milestones are feasible to assess in daily clinical practice.

Major distribution shifts are projected for key rangeland grasses under a high-emission scenario in East Africa at the end of the 21st century

Grassland landscapes are important ecosystems in East Africa, providing habitat and grazing grounds for wildlife and livestock and supporting pastoralism, an essential part of the agricultural sector. Since future grassland availability directly affects the future mobility needs of pastoralists and wildlife, we aim to model changes in the distribution of key grassland species under climate change. Here we combine a global and regional climate model with a machine learning-based species distribution model to understand the impact of regional climate change on different key grass species. The application of a dynamical downscaling step allows us to capture the fine-scale effects of the region’s complex climate, its variability and future changes. We show that the co-occurrence of the analysed grass species is reduced in large parts of eastern Africa, and particularly in the Turkana region, under the high-emission RCP8.5 scenario for the last 30 years of the 21st century. Our results suggest that future climate change will alter the natural resource base, with potentially negative impacts on pastoralism and wildlife in East Africa.

New-Tenant Rent Passthrough and the Future of Rent Inflation

New-tenant rent inflation rose sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, subsequently falling. Concomitantly, consumer price index (CPI) tenant rent, which measures rent increases for both new and continuing renters, rose more gradually and, after falling somewhat, has remained elevated. To illustrate why CPI rent inflation has remained elevated, we combine a measure of new-tenant rents and annual renter mobility rates to create a simulated CPI tenant rent inflation measure. We use this simulation to define a "rent gap" that represents the difference between actual CPI tenant rent inflation and rent inflation we would observe if every tenant experienced new-tenant rent inflation. This gap has declined since hitting its peak at the end of 2022 but remains high, implying that existing rents for continuing renters may still be notably below new-tenant rent levels and that rent inflation may remain elevated. However, the future path remains uncertain because it depends on future mobility rates, future passthrough rates, and future new-tenant rent inflation.

Handgrip Strength: An Early Warning Sign for Mobility Decline? A Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies

Background: Mobility limitations significantly impact the quality of life of older adults. Early identification of individuals at risk is crucial for timely intervention. This meta-analysis investigates the diagnostic accuracy of handgrip strength (HGS) in predicting future mobility decline in older adults. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for diagnostic accuracy studies published between 2018 and 2024, evaluating the ability of baseline HGS to predict incident mobility limitations in older adults (≥60 years). Mobility limitations were defined as difficulties in performing activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The primary outcomes were sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of HGS for predicting mobility decline. A bivariate random-effects model was used to pool data. Results: Seven diagnostic studies with a total of 3,870 participants were included. The pooled sensitivity of HGS for predicting mobility decline was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.65-0.78), and the pooled specificity was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.66-0.74). The pooled DOR was 4.85 (95% CI: 3.21-7.32), indicating good discriminatory ability. Conclusion: This meta-analysis demonstrates that HGS has moderate sensitivity and specificity for predicting future mobility decline in older adults. HGS assessment can be a valuable tool for identifying individuals at risk, although further research is needed to determine optimal cut-off points and combine HGS with other risk factors for improved prediction.

Perceptions of Women’s Safety in Transient Environments and the Potential Role of AI in Enhancing Safety: An Inclusive Mobility Study in India

Travel safety for women is a concern, particularly in India, where gender-based violence and harassment are significant issues. This study examines how the perception of safety influences women’s travel behaviour and assesses the potential of technology solutions to ensure their safety. Additionally, it explores how AI and machine learning techniques may be leveraged to enhance women’s travel safety. A comprehensive mobility survey was designed to uncover the complex relationship between travel behaviour, reasons for mode choice, built environment, feelings, future mobility, and technological solutions. The responses revealed that security and safety are the most critical factors affecting women’s travel mode choices, with 54% and 41%, respectively. Moreover, over 80% of women indicated a willingness to change their travel behaviour after experiencing fear, anxiety, or danger during their everyday journeys. Participants were 24% less willing to use ride-sharing services than ride-hailing services, which could affect the transition towards more sustainable transportation options. Furthermore, AI-based sentiment analysis revealed that 46% of the respondents exhibited signs of ‘anger’ regarding what could help women feel safer in transient environments. The practical implications of this study’s findings are discussed, highlighting the potential of AI to enhance travel safety and optimise future sustainable transport planning.

Soundscape design methodology using a perception model for activity transition in future mobility

In the context of Future Mobility, a methodology for soundscape design using a perception model has been developed to facilitate the implementation of performance spaces among various activity transitions. This approach involved evaluating the soundscape and room acoustics of orchestra performances and solo singing that penetrate the vehicle interior, aimed at comparing with the auditory and visual environments of a concert hall. The performance hall being compared was a large, rectangular concert hall, and the evaluation point was located in the center of the audience. To investigate audio-visual preferences, variables related to sound pressure level and spatial acoustic quality were initially defined. Following this, in-car human perception in Concert Hall mode was assessed, grounded on indoor acoustic parameters relevant to music listening, encompassing acoustic satisfaction and audio-visual components. To enhance the poor audio-visual environmental conditions inside the vehicle from a UX perspective, implementations of transparent displays and stereoscopic sound were implemented. The methodology was validated based on the psychophysiological responses of participants to the audio-visual soundscape factors, aiming for performance enhancement.

Deciphering the character of public transport participation in subjective well-being: Evidence from Hangzhou, China

IntroductionBased on the mobility status and transport dilemmas within a megacity, this study explores the correlation between public transport participation (PTP) and subjective well-being (SWB), in terms of daily mobility, service quality evaluation, interchange experience, and future services. MethodsWithin the urban district of Hangzhou, an on-site questionnaire survey regarding subjective well-being obtained 3600 responses. Based on 37 factors, with subjective well-being as the target variable, a LightGBM model was constructed. The synergies of the explanatory factors were parsed and visualized. ResultsMetro usage in daily mobility was the most vital factor affecting subjective well-being. Knowledge and use of the metro system varied across generations, with individuals younger than 60 reporting better SWB from metro use. PT interchanges consuming more than 12 min result in a significant decrease in SWB. The effect of interchange satisfaction on SWB was mediated by time consumption of PT interchanges. Transport information inquiry was frequently sought yet performed poorly in accuracy. The concerns about the punctuality of buses amplified the negative effects on SWB. Positive preferences of respondents for future mobility services could consolidate their PT participation and SWB. ConclusionsSimpler and more convenient access to the metro system, transport information inquiry methods with better accuracy, PT interchanges with shorter duration, and novel regulations and driving strategies for buses, could contribute to better subjective well-being across populations.

Role of Ultrasound in the Evaluation of Skeletal Muscle Changes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract Background Diabetes is a global public health problem, with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounting for more than 90% of the diabetic population and it has been consistently reported as one of the strongest correlates of mobility limitation, especially in older people, and a potential risk factor for future mobility disability and loss of independence. Long-term complications and diabetes-related comorbidities only partially explain the excess risk of disability associated with diabetes. Changes in body composition, in particular progressive loss of muscle mass and increase in fat mass, with decline in muscle strength and quality have been proposed as additional potential mediators of the association between diabetes and disability. Aim of the Work to investigate the differences in Skeletal muscle ultrasound features in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Patients and Methods This was a Case control study conducted at the Ultrasound Radiology Unit, Radiology Department, Ain Shams University Hospitals from July, 2023 to January 2024. The study was performed on simple random sample consists of 36 T2DM patients on regular follow up in the endocrinology clinics in Ain Shams University Hospitals. And 36 Healthy controls came for routine checkup in Ain Shams University Hospitals clinics and meeting the study inclusion criteria. A signed informed consent was obtained from all patients and controls prior to inclusion in the study after explaining the procedure details. The approval of research ethical committee of faculty of Medicine - Ain Shams University was obtained before starting the study. The privacy of participants and confidentiality of data was guaranteed during the various phases of the study. Results we measured three ultrasonic parameters. MT, FL and PA. The FL and PA are measured in both relaxed and contracted states. the DPN group had the lowest MT, FL at both rest and contracted states and PA at contracted state as well as the lowest ΔFL and ΔPA. The control group had the highest MT, FL at both rest and contracted states and PA at contracted state as well as the highest ΔFL and ΔPA. The non-DPN group had intermediate values for the same variables. The differences among the groups were statistically significant for all the variables except for the pennation angle at rest. It showed that the ΔFL of the DPN group was significantly lower than that of the non-DPN group (p < 0.001), which was similar to a previous conclusion that the gastrocnemius fascicles undergo the smallest length changes in a DPN group. Conclusion The combination of MT,ΔFL and ΔPA of the MG showed high-diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity >80%; specificity >95%) for predicting DPN, which could be used for rapid screening in the future. Early muscle ultrasound screening should be timely carried out in patients with T2DM, especially those with a long disease course and poor long-term blood glucose levels, and there is no difference between men and women.

Envisioning the Future of Mobility: A Well-Being-Oriented Approach

Mobility, a vital part of daily life, significantly impacts human well-being. Understanding this relationship is crucial for shaping the future trajectory of mobility, a connection often overlooked in previous research. This study explores the complex relationship between mobility and well-being and proposes a holistic framework for mobility’s future, prioritizing individual and societal well-being. The motivation for this research stems from the growing need to balance technological advancements in transportation with the well-being of diverse populations, especially as the mobility landscape evolves with innovations like autonomous vehicles and intelligent mobility solutions. We employ bibliometric methods, analyzing 53,588 academic articles to identify key themes and research trends related to mobility and well-being. This study categorizes these articles into thematic clusters using the Louvain modularity maximization algorithm, which facilitates the formation of cohesive groups based on citation patterns. Our findings underline the significant impact of mobility on physical, mental, psychological, financial, and social well-being. The proposed framework features four pillars: vehicle, infrastructure and environment, mobility stakeholders, and policy. This framework underscores the importance of collaboration between institutional and individual actions in shaping a future mobility landscape that is technologically advanced, socially responsible, and conducive to an improved quality of life.

Participatory backcasting towards desirable co-produced mobility futures: A case study of MaaS in Greater Manchester

Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) has emerged as a model supported by popular discourse on achieving greener, more efficient and equitable future mobility. While technological change is a primary driver for models of development, the policy pathways, implementation and implications of MaaS are complex and unclear. In this paper, we explore the implications and limitations of a participatory approach to co-produced MaaS futures in Greater Manchester (GM). We adapt a backcasting methodology involving two stakeholder workshops to develop shared future visions and action pathways. Our methodology includes a participatory approach to pluralistic vision development and the use of a Three Horizons method for backcasting. This approach provides the opportunity to explore multiple desirable futures and the formulation of action pathways without negating plausible future possibilities. The research identifies multiple policy and collaborative action areas while also revealing limitations in MaaS user agency and unaddressed sustainability concerns related to wider Smart City criticisms. Findings also suggest a lack of adequate theory within current MaaS frameworks to engage with uncertainty, change and adaptive capacity. Future areas of research include the expansion of current frameworks to incorporate alternative framings from planning and complexity theories already attempting to address these dimensions of futures.

Enhancement of the impacts 2050 model to enable a whole system sustainability assessment of rideshare

Emerging concepts, such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS), could evolve to provide sustainable mobility, especially in densely populated urban areas. However, recent studies highlight the challenge of evaluating how the complex interactions of user demographics, mode choice, vehicle automation, governance, and efficiency will impact the sustainability of future mobility. Given this challenge, this research identifies a whole system (STEEP - social, technical, economic, environmental, and political) framework as essential to assess the overall sustainability of emergent urban mobility systems such as rideshare. The need is a single tool that can rapidly explore the long-range sustainability impact of such alternative future mobility scenarios for a given city region. This paper documents enhancements made to Impacts 2050, a strategic-level model of urban mobility, to address this need, including updates to the statistical travel behavior model and the addition of rideshare including trip occupancy. Results obtained with the enhanced Impacts 2050 showed that, while rideshare use increased significantly for some scenarios, its overall mode share remained limited. In addition, though rideshare enabled users to shed car ownership, the overall percentage increase of “no car ownership” was low. An urban mobility sustainability scorecard based on STEEP and generated by output from the enhanced Impacts 2050 is presented.