Maria Chatziathanasiou

This paper develops and applies an ex-ante methodological framework to assess the societal optimisation of eBRT innovations within the Horizon Europe eBRT2030 project, using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and the PROMETHEE method. The study evaluates 11 eBRT innovations to be deployed in five demonstration sites in Europe and one in Colombia. Twenty social parameters, including 10 risks and 10 benefits, were weighted and scored through expert and stakeholder engagement, to calculate the Societal Optimisation Index (SOI). Positive SOI values indicate that societal benefits outweigh risks, and negative values indicate the opposite, while close-to-zero values indicate socially neutral or ambiguous options requiring case-specific judgement. The results indicate that innovations such as Adaptive Fleet Scheduling and Planning, Intelligent Driver Support Systems, and IoT Monitoring Platforms provide strong societal benefits with manageable risks, while charging-related innovations are associated with social concerns. The study emphasises the importance of social impact assessment prior to implementing innovations, to enable inclusive decision-making for policymakers and transport planners and enable the development of socially optimised eBRT systems. Embedding experts’ perspectives and social criteria ensures that technological innovations are aligned with societal needs, assisting the transition towards more equitable, low-carbon transport systems.

This study investigates how lifestyle factors influence mobility choices within the metropolitan area of Thessaloniki, which is the second largest city in Greece. The primary objective is to understand the interplay between lifestyle attitudes and preferences for sustainable mobility options. This research utilizes data from a comprehensive survey conducted among Thessaloniki’s inhabitants, identifying four distinct attitudinal clusters shaped by lifestyle characteristics and general attitudes toward recycling, energy conservation, social distancing, and other factors. A two-step clustering approach combining hierarchical and k-means methods as well as Chi-square and Kruskal–Wallis tests were employed to investigate whether life attitudes are correlated with revealed and stated mode choices as well as beliefs, perceptions, and feelings related to the current and future public transport systems and micromobility options in the metropolitan area of Thessaloniki. The findings reveal significant variations in mobility choices across the identified lifestyle segments with environmentally conscious segments showing a higher propensity for sustainable modes of transport. Additionally, differences are observed in perceptions and intentions regarding micromobility and the future mass transit system within the region, suggesting that when introducing a new metro system that is expected to promote a shift toward public transport, segment-specific approaches are necessary for raising awareness and increasing trust to the new mode.

European cities are motivated to act towards the achievement of climate-neutral mobility solutions. Often, though, they are facing many challenges when bringing (innovative) sustainable mobility solutions forward. Capacity building that fills the skills gaps and/or enables the acquisition of new ones related to the planning and implementation of such solutions can empower local/regional authorities to identify them, adopt them and eventually deliver them properly. The aim of this paper is to present the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) framework that has been used for the assessment of the effectiveness of the Learning and Exchange Programme applied in an EU-funded project. It presents the methodological steps for the adoption of the KPIs, as well as the tools used for the selection of the KPI data and the KPI monitoring at the project level. It also presents the results from the application of the framework for assessing the knowledge performance towards the deployment of sustainable mobility solutions. It finally reflects on recommendations for applying the KPI framework to other cases and thematic contents.

European cities are motivated to act towards the achievement of climate-neutral mobility solutions. Often, though, they are facing many challenges when bringing (innovative) sustainable mobility solutions forward. Capacity building that fills skills gap and/or enables acquisition of new ones related to the planning and implementation of such solutions can empower local/ regional authorities to identify them, adopt them and eventually deliver them properly. The aim of this paper is to present the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) framework that has been used for the assessment of the effectiveness of the Learning and Exchange Programme applied in an EU-funded project. It presents the methodological steps for the adoption of the KPIs, as well as the tools used for the selection of the KPI data and the KPI monitoring at project level. It also presents the results from the application of the framework for assessing the knowledge performance towards the deployment of sustainable mobility solutions. It finally reflects on recommendations for applying the KPI framework to other cases and thematic contents.

Experience has shown that when a target group that benefits from or is affected by an intervention is included in the planning procedure from the beginning, underlying success factors are revealed and respected. Coming to sustainable mobility planning, an ideal participatory scheme (optimal synthesis of different perspectives) accompanying the sustainable mobility planning cycle would add to the interventions’ success. The current paper, based on the knowledge acquired within the e-smartec Interreg EUROPE project, is inspired by the wide spectrum of marketing techniques from the business sector and proposes the effective transfer of them to mobility co-planning and citizens’ engagement. The approach for developing this capacity-building guide (MOBENGAGE-RADAR) on engagement in mobility planning includes (i) review of existing appealing marketing techniques (1st level), (ii) extraction of the affiliated engagement methods (2nd level), (iii) identification of real-world examples of successful citizens’ engagement practices (3rd level), and (iv) correlation of methods and examples with SUMP steps. MOBENGAGE-RADAR visualizes the applicability of the different engagement and awareness raising methods for each step of mobility planning and can be used as the base for creative thinking while developing an engagement strategy.