Research

18 pages, 3717 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Free-Floating Bike Sharing in Jiangsu: Users’ Behaviors and Influencing Factors

by Xuefeng Li, Yong Zhang, Li Sun and Qiyang Liu

Energies 2018, 11(7), 1664; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en11071664 - 26 Jun 2018

Cited by 87 | Viewed by 6648

In order to explore the factors affecting users’ behaviors in a free-floating bike sharing (FFBS) system in China, a survey was conducted in Jiangsu province, China in 2017, and the travel characteristics of FFBS users were analyzed. A binary logistic model was applied [...] Read more.

In order to explore the factors affecting users’ behaviors in a free-floating bike sharing (FFBS) system in China, a survey was conducted in Jiangsu province, China in 2017, and the travel characteristics of FFBS users were analyzed. A binary logistic model was applied to quantify the impact of various variables regarding residents’ usage preference based on 30401 valid questionnaires. The findings show that (1) FFBS was mainly used for short-distance travel in cities, especially for commuting and schooling, and the time period of travel in FFBS coincided with the rush-hour in urban areas; (2) a higher level of education, a higher daily transportation cost, the convenience of picking up and parking, and the contribution to users’ health could promote the usage of FFBS, while malfunctioning bicycles and limited regulations were major obstacles restricting the development of FFBS; (3) interestingly, people with high-incomes rather than those with low-incomes showed an inclination for FFBS owing to the charge mode. This research provides empirical evidence to facilitate the formulation of urban transportation policies and to improve the management of FFBS for the operators. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Governance of Sustainable Cities and Innovative Transport)

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20 pages, 1743 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Piling up or Packaging Policies? An Ex-Post Analysis of Modal Shift in Four Cities

by Marc Dijk, Moshe Givoni and Karen Diederiks

Energies 2018, 11(6), 1400; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en11061400 - 30 May 2018

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3112

Abstract

Recently, there has been wider acknowledgement that sustainable urban mobility will not be triggered by one ‘silver bullet’ policy, or by piling up various policies, but requires a deliberate package of policies. Until recently, studies on policy instrument (or measure) interaction have been [...] Read more.

Recently, there has been wider acknowledgement that sustainable urban mobility will not be triggered by one ‘silver bullet’ policy, or by piling up various policies, but requires a deliberate package of policies. Until recently, studies on policy instrument (or measure) interaction have been primarily ex-ante studies, estimating interactions in the future. However, from an evidence-based policy-making perspective, ex-ante evaluations need to use knowledge gained through ex-post evaluations, a crucial link in the policy cycle. To contribute to the strengthening of this poor link, this paper provides an ex-post analysis of instrument interaction in four northwest European, medium-sized cities: Bruges, Ghent, Jena & Erfurt. By exposing the relationships between the range of mobility policies implemented in relation to modal shift achieved, we offer insight into the crucial difference between ‘piling up policies’ and deliberate policy packages. As such, the paper offers evidence to inform ex-ante analysis for urban mobility policy-making and contributes to policy learning as part of effective governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Governance of Sustainable Cities and Innovative Transport)

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21 pages, 348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Governance of Risks in Ridesharing: A Revelatory Case from Singapore

by Yanwei Li, Araz Taeihagh and Martin De Jong

Energies 2018, 11(5), 1277; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en11051277 - 16 May 2018

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 9663

Abstract

Recently we have witnessed the worldwide adoption of many different types of innovative technologies, such as crowdsourcing, ridesharing, open and big data, aiming at delivering public services more efficiently and effectively. Among them, ridesharing has received substantial attention from decision-makers around the world. [...] Read more.

Recently we have witnessed the worldwide adoption of many different types of innovative technologies, such as crowdsourcing, ridesharing, open and big data, aiming at delivering public services more efficiently and effectively. Among them, ridesharing has received substantial attention from decision-makers around the world. Because of the multitude of currently understood or potentially unknown risks associated with ridesharing (unemployment, insurance, information privacy, and environmental risk), governments in different countries apply different strategies to address such risks. Some governments prohibit the adoption of ridesharing altogether, while other governments promote it. In this article, we address the question of how risks involved in ridesharing are governed over time. We present an in-depth single case study on Singapore and examine how the Singaporean government has addressed risks in ridesharing over time. The Singaporean government has a strong ambition to become an innovation hub, and many innovative technologies have been adopted and promoted to that end. At the same time, decision-makers in Singapore are reputed for their proactive style of social governance. The example of Singapore can be regarded as a revelatory case study, helping us further to explore governance practices in other countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Governance of Sustainable Cities and Innovative Transport)

14 pages, 248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Technology and Instrument Constituencies as Agents of Innovation: Sustainability Transitions and the Governance of Urban Transport

by Nihit Goyal and Michael Howlett

Energies 2018, 11(5), 1198; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en11051198 - 09 May 2018

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4117

Abstract

Sustainable urban transport is a complex challenge requiring innovation in technologies, culture, and policies. Given the systemic nature of the issues involved, numerous studies have applied the transitions approach to urban transport. However, relatively weak conceptualization of agency in the transitions literature limits [...] Read more.

Sustainable urban transport is a complex challenge requiring innovation in technologies, culture, and policies. Given the systemic nature of the issues involved, numerous studies have applied the transitions approach to urban transport. However, relatively weak conceptualization of agency in the transitions literature limits the usefulness of this approach for the governance of urban transport. The objective of this study is to contribute to the conceptualization of agency in the multilevel perspective to sustainability transitions. We propose that two types of actors exercise agency to foster innovation: technology constituencies, who promote the adoption of specific technologies by citizens, businesses, or governments; and instrument constituencies, who promote the adoption of specific policy instruments. In focusing predominantly on technological innovation, the transitions literature has generally juxtaposed these constituencies or considered them to be the same. We posit that the two constitute distinct, albeit possibly overlapping, actors and that their relationship(s) help better understand and explain how transitions evolve. We discuss the implications of this distinction for the governance of urban transport and argue that the presence of instrument and technology constituencies, and their relationship(s), should be examined empirically in future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Governance of Sustainable Cities and Innovative Transport)

22 pages, 6680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transport Demand Management Policy Integration in Chinese Cities: A Proposed Analysis of Its Effects

by Wei Yang, Wijnand Veeneman and Martin De Jong

Energies 2018, 11(5), 1126; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en11051126 - 02 May 2018

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3728

Abstract

Transport demand management (TDM) measures are widely regarded as essential tools to deal with traffic issues. Their effectiveness has been under scrutiny. Packaging of TDM measures has recently received much attention from researchers and governments because it can achieve more complex policy goals [...] Read more.

Transport demand management (TDM) measures are widely regarded as essential tools to deal with traffic issues. Their effectiveness has been under scrutiny. Packaging of TDM measures has recently received much attention from researchers and governments because it can achieve more complex policy goals and resolve the negative effects of single TDM measures. Many studies have examined the concept of policy packaging, the ideal packaging process, and potential barriers at the theoretical level. However, the way TDM packaging as a concept works in a real-world context has received little attention. Additionally, there is little methodology to analyse its characteristics from a dynamic and historical perspective. Therefore, this study provides a methodology for analysing TDM packaging in four dimensions (i.e., density, classification, interaction, and time). These dimensions respectively reveal how many and what kind of TDM measures have been implemented, how they interact in a package, and how these characteristics change over time. We examine this methodology through comparative case studies based on policy document analysis in two Chinese cities, Dalian and Shenzhen, both of which adopt a large number of TDM measures. The results show that this methodology successfully reveals the characteristics of case cities: both tend to put more TDM measures into the transport policy package to deal with traffic issues, but the package in Shenzhen is more integrative than that in Dalian. We also find that with the integration of packaging increasing, transport systems are becoming more sustainable, and Shenzhen performs better in this regard than Dalian. This methodology can be used to analyse policy packaging in broader areas and to examine its influence on transport systems in more case studies in future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Governance of Sustainable Cities and Innovative Transport)

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23 pages, 605 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Autonomous Vehicles for Smart and Sustainable Cities: An In-Depth Exploration of Privacy and Cybersecurity Implications

by Hazel Si Min Lim and Araz Taeihagh

Energies 2018, 11(5), 1062; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en11051062 - 25 Apr 2018

Cited by 134 | Viewed by 21549

Abstract

Amidst rapid urban development, sustainable transportation solutions are required to meet the increasing demands for mobility whilst mitigating the potentially negative social, economic, and environmental impacts. This study analyses autonomous vehicles (AVs) as a potential transportation solution for smart and sustainable development. We [...] Read more.

Amidst rapid urban development, sustainable transportation solutions are required to meet the increasing demands for mobility whilst mitigating the potentially negative social, economic, and environmental impacts. This study analyses autonomous vehicles (AVs) as a potential transportation solution for smart and sustainable development. We identified privacy and cybersecurity risks of AVs as crucial to the development of smart and sustainable cities and examined the steps taken by governments around the world to address these risks. We highlight the literature that supports why AVs are essential for smart and sustainable development. We then identify the aspects of privacy and cybersecurity in AVs that are important for smart and sustainable development. Lastly, we review the efforts taken by federal governments in the US, the UK, China, Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Germany, France, and the EU, and by US state governments to address AV-related privacy and cybersecurity risks in-depth. Overall, the actions taken by governments to address privacy risks are mainly in the form of regulations or voluntary guidelines. To address cybersecurity risks, governments have mostly resorted to regulations that are not specific to AVs and are conducting research and fostering research collaborations with the private sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Governance of Sustainable Cities and Innovative Transport)

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22 pages, 9036 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Patterns of Carbon Emissions and Taxi Travel Using GPS Data in Beijing

by Jinlei Zhang, Feng Chen, Zijia Wang, Rui Wang and Shunwei Shi

Energies 2018, 11(3), 500; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en11030500 - 27 Feb 2018

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4756

Abstract

Taxis are significant contributors to carbon dioxide emissions due to their frequent usage, yet current research into taxi carbon emissions is insufficient. Emerging data sources and big data–mining techniques enable analysis of carbon emissions, which contributes to their reduction and the promotion of [...] Read more.

Taxis are significant contributors to carbon dioxide emissions due to their frequent usage, yet current research into taxi carbon emissions is insufficient. Emerging data sources and big data–mining techniques enable analysis of carbon emissions, which contributes to their reduction and the promotion of low-carbon societies. This study uses taxi GPS data to reconstruct taxi trajectories in Beijing. We then use the carbon emission calculation model based on a taxi fuel consumption algorithm and the carbon dioxide emission factor to calculate emissions and apply a visualization method called kernel density analysis to obtain the dynamic spatiotemporal distribution of carbon emissions. Total carbon emissions show substantial temporal variations during the day, with maximum values from 10:00–11:00 (57.53 t), which is seven times the minimum value of 7.43 t (from 03:00–04:00). Carbon emissions per kilometer at the network level are steady throughout the day (0.2 kg/km). The Airport Expressway, Ring Roads, and large intersections within the 5th Ring Road maintain higher carbon emissions than other areas. Spatiotemporal carbon emissions and travel patterns differ between weekdays and weekends, especially during morning rush hours. This research provides critical insights for taxi companies, authorities, and future studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Governance of Sustainable Cities and Innovative Transport)

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18 pages, 3145 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Tale of Two Chinese Transit Metropolises and the Implementation of Their Policies: Shenyang and Dalian (Liaoning Province, China)

by Rui Mu and Martin De Jong

Energies 2018, 11(3), 481; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en11030481 - 25 Feb 2018

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4611

Abstract

To promote sustainable urbanization and combat the economic, environmental, energy and safety issues that go with rapid motorization, the Ministry of Transport in China has introduced the “Transit Metropolis” program with a substantive amount of funds devoted to the implementation of the program [...] Read more.

To promote sustainable urbanization and combat the economic, environmental, energy and safety issues that go with rapid motorization, the Ministry of Transport in China has introduced the “Transit Metropolis” program with a substantive amount of funds devoted to the implementation of the program in local governments. This represents the largest ever central government-led effort addressing transit metropolis development in the world. How has the program been implemented locally? Have the selected demonstration cities followed the same principle or taken comparable measures to implement their version of the transit metropolis? What is their performance? These questions remain unknown in the current literature. This article answers the above questions through a literature review, interviews and comparative case studies in Shenyang and Dalian, two large cities in Liaoning Province. It shows that both cities have successfully achieved the target levels for building a transit metropolis. Similarities between the two cities can be found their absence of any policies on automobile restriction and the presence of enormous efforts in transit network expansion and optimization. Differences lie in the fact that Shenyang has been more conventional in developing the transit metropolis, while Dalian has been more innovative and flexible in policy implementation. When comparing our empirical findings with the experience of creating transit metropolis elsewhere in China and in foreign countries, we find that policies and regulations restricting car use and calming traffic are not necessary conditions for successful transit metropolises; however, the attractiveness of transit infrastructure, combined with aesthetic and well-decorated street network is essential for a modal shift for transit. We also find that the perception on the transit metropolis in China more emphasizes transit service improvement, while the concept in Western countries more focuses on the shift of land use patterns that lean more towards influencing transit behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Governance of Sustainable Cities and Innovative Transport)

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