The governance of smart mobility: preliminary evidence from UK cities

Institute for Transport Studies research seminar with speaker Ioanna Moscholidou, University of Leeds.

Smart mobility services – ranging from ridesharing and autonomous vehicles to dockless bikes and shared scooters – are entering, and leaving, the cities’ markets at a pace that’s often difficult to follow. On the other hand, cities try to respond and understand how these services will shape the future of mobility. Pilot interviews carried out with five local authorities in the UK show different types of response, from reluctant to proactive.

This presentation will discuss some preliminary findings from these interviews and the methods developed to examine how cities in and outside the UK respond to smart mobility and plan for it in the future. Ultimately, my research aims to understand what is the potential for smart mobility to bring the ‘transformation’ it promises, and how it can be steered by cities to deliver more sustainable and equitable transport. At this session, I would welcome feedback on my methodology, as I am planning to start my main data collection early next year.

Bio: I am a third year part-time PhD student supervised by Greg Marsden and Kate Pangbourne. My PhD focuses on the governance of smart mobility. I did the Sustainable Transport Masters at the ITS between 2013-2014 and previously did an MEng in Rural and Surveying Engineering with a specialisation in Transport and Hydraulics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. I have been working in the UK since 2014, first as a consultant, and since April at the Strategy and Planning division of Highways England, focusing on scheme development and long-term strategy. I love cycling and walking, but instead I spend a lot of time on the train, where I can’t do much of either.

Institute for Transport Studies Research Seminar Series: Our seminar series is for anyone interested in the latest transport research. Presented by members of the Institute and guest speakers, the programme is designed to stimulate cross-disciplinary conversations across a range of transport and mobility research areas. The short seminars will be followed by a discussion. The remainder of the session will be a chance to meet up and network. No booking required.