Built environment and smart mobility

Wherever urban development takes place, people will want to come and go. And wherever people come, go, or pass through, opportunities for urban development arise. There is a continuous interaction between the built environment and mobility in general, and smart mobility specifically.
In this course we will discuss the current state of knowledge of how to plan and design our cities with the aim of keeping them liveable, clean and safe, offering opportunities to satisfy wants and needs, while simultaneously keeping them accessible for all.

The course addresses key concepts and state of the art methods concerning the relationship between (smart) mobility and the built environment. Examples of applications are discussed, while assignments allow you to master the methods and better understand the concepts.

The following topics will be dealt with:

• Built Environment and Transportation: relations between transportation, accessibility, land use and travel patterns.
• Urban mobility issues with a focus on the impacts of car-oriented mobilitty on the environment and quality of life: inefficient use of time and space, energy consumption, emissions and exposure;safety, health and well-being.
• Urban planning and design solutions to mitigate urban mobility issues: urban structures and mobility, suburbia and walkability, New Urbanism, TOD.
• Smart mobility: how technology and innovative transportation and ICT solutions (for example, Mobility as a Service) may (or may not) help in dealing with urban mobility issues and keeping our cities accessible and sustainable.
• Theories and models related to real estate, accessibility and transportation: concepts of accessibility in land-use and transport planning strategies; measurement of accessibility; models of transport demand.

After a successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe and explain the dynamic relationship between the built environment and mobility, and the (potential) role of technology in it.
• Evaluate transportation and land use theories, and critically assess the limitations and methodologies of relevant modeling techniques.
• Identify and discuss the major urban mobility issues and their effects on urban (public) space, quality of life (e.g. health and well-being) and environment, both in general and in specific cases.
• Discuss the potential of urban planning, design strategies and smart mobility solutions in addressing contemporary urban mobility challenges, considering their effectiveness and integration possibilities.
• Critically examine the societal, behavioral and environmental impacts of different techological solutions within the context of urban mobility (e.g. Mobility as a Service) through case studies, identifying key bottlenecks and success factors.
• Propose innovative, integrated approaches for the future of urban mobility and accessibility, considering factors such as multimodal connectivity, land use, and sustainable transportation, informed by scientific literature.
• Communicate innovative ideas and research findings effectively using appropriate communication means and formats suitable for the target audience.

• A selection of readings will be included in the study guide.