A New Vision on Smart and Resilient Urban Mobility in the Aftermath of the Pandemic: Key Factors on European Transport Policies

Recent events related to the COVID-19 pandemic event highlighted some criticalities of transport systems, especially the public sector. The respect for social distancing and a widespread fear of contagion have reduced travel on public transport. In addition, the new trend to reduce daily long-range mobility needs due to the increase in teleworking is present. Following the pandemic, there has been a paradigm shift, from smart cities to smart and sustainable cities (SSCs) in which a new concept of resilience is contemplated. Among the various changes, a reversal of the trend has occurred with respect to the transition to the use of public transport. The growing density of car traffic causes an increase in external costs, in terms of atmospheric pollution and waste of time, with negative consequences also for the balance between private life and work. In this regard, the focus of this paper is to analyse the European policies promoted in the aftermath of the pandemic in the field of urban and suburban mobility. An exploratory analysis of key factors for active mobility, public transport and shared services has been carried out highlighting possible actions and strategies to be implemented in the light of the recent pandemic and the defined restrictions. Among the European policies implemented, the redevelopment of public spaces for the promotion of various forms of active mobility, such as cycling and walking, are considered. Among the possible transport solutions, which allow medium and long-range travel, demand responsive transport (DRT) services can reduce the use of private vehicles. In fact, they are implemented for two purposes: both to connect the centres with low demand for transport often lacking an adequate supply of travel choices and to cope with the pandemic, strengthening the service on the routes with greater demand for transport.