Planning and Designing a Sustainable Mobility System in Rural Areas

Sustainable transportation planning and design play a vibrant role in the transformation of the transport sector to become more environmentally friendly. Sustainable mobility in cities is a widely debated topic, but there is a lack of research and perspectives on sustainable mobility in rural areas. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview and critical analysis of recent studies on sustainable mobility in rural areas in Europe. From the selected studies, we highlight possible solutions for a more sustainable transport system in marginal territories, which could support decision-making processes. The paper consists of two parts. The first part is a preliminary analysis of the concept of sustainable mobility, and the second part is a critical analysis of best practices. The analysis highlights relevant aspects to consider when planning and designing transport solutions in rural areas. Particularly, we notice a growing attention to citizens’ participation and engagement, which often becomes a decisive factor in achieving shared and efficient solutions. Also, the analyzed sustainable mobility systems show that the fragile population, especially elderly people, can considerably benefit from shared mobility solutions in rural areas, as they substantially increase their possibility of accessing services and infrastructure. The best practices are further divided into four categories: micromobility, mobility as a service (MaaS), transport on demand, and shared mobility. From the critical comparison of the analyzed best practices, we conclude that transport problems in rural areas can be more efficiently addressed with alternative solutions other than traditional public transport modes. This aspect will be further evaluated in the follow-up of the research, funded within the PON Program of the Italian Ministry of University and Research, in the Marche Region of Italy, as an assessment of the design and planning of a sustainable mobility strategy in rural areas.