Publication: Sustainable mobility at FEUP
Date
2017
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Publisher
AESOP
Abstract
Sustainability is a concept that has become entwined with planning of the future, since it means the capacity to endure. It is a balance between the use of resources and productivity, allowing the process to continue uninterrupted. The organizing principle of this concept is called Sustainable Development and its definition was firstly conceived by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), on March 20th, 1987. WCED defined Sustainable Development as the "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (WCED, 1987). Sustainable Development stands on three principal pillars: environment, society and economy, where the latest two are restricted by environmental limits (UCLG, 2008). The transport sector is responsible for 23% of the total GHG emissions, with about three quarters coming from road traffic (Ribeiro, et al., 2007). In addition to this problem, transportation has also other negative impacts on sustainability such as noise pollution, devaluation of public spaces, public health and safety, development and urban sprawl, etc., all of which involve a high cost for societies (Fenton, 2017). Given this situation, the concept of sustainable mobility arises, which can be defined as the one that, responding to people's travel needs, is carried out through sustainable modes of transportation (Portuguese Environmental Agency, 2010). In order to properly formulate a plan for sustainable mobility, studies are required to assess the situation and the suitable course of action. Unfortunately, traditional data collection implies long periods of time and associated heavy costs. In Portugal, many mobility decisions are only supported by the Census, which only provides information on work/school related trips. New solutions must arise to meet the needs for supporting data and the requirements of feasible practical applications. Technology is advancing at an alarming speed, providing an enormous quantity of data in a rate that cannot be processed. It’s the age of Big Data. From small quantities of information taken directly from willing participants to huge amounts of complex and unorganized data retrieved automatically in digital processes, the collection of information is rapidly migrating from straightforward and direct methods to an undetected part of everyone’s life and becoming an increasingly prosperous market.
Description
Book of proceedings: Annual AESOP Congress, Spaces of Dialog for Places of Dignity, Lisbon, 11-14th July, 2017
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