The CIVITAS DESTINATIONS consortium proudly announces the publication of the book "Sustainable Mobility for Island Destinations". This open access book, published by Springer and freely available for a wider audience, supports a broader diffusion of experience, best practice, and research findings from the DESTINATIONS sites.
CIVITAS DESTINATIONS, a project funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, has managed to create a tangible link between mobility and tourism in island destinations. The project addressed the increased mobility needs created by tourism and the related effects of seasonal variation, and integrated them into the design and implementation of mobility solutions, thus enhancing the sustainability, attractiveness, accessibility and efficiency of services, as well as mobility infrastructure, both for residents and visitors, in six island cities: Funchal (Madeira-Portugal), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain), Elba (Italy), Limassol (Cyprus), Rethymnon (Crete-Greece ) and Valletta (Malta).
The following topics addressed in this book, reveal the challenges and at the same time, the great opportunities that islands hold in sustainable mobility, being ideal test labs to develop and implement innovative systems and policies.
- Overview of the CIVITAS DESTINATIONS methodology and results, demonstrating 83 different sustainable mobility measures in six European island destinations.
- Assessment of sustainable urban mobility policies in Mediterranean tourism destinations through Multi-Criteria Decision-Making models, presenting a valuable tool for decision makers to include stakeholders’ viewpoint during the shaping of future policies.
- Innovation, digital solutions and MaaS concept in touristic insular and rural destinations, focusing on the case of the Shared Mobility Agency in Elba, and providing critical recommendations for mobility authorities and transport operators.
- Co-creation of sustainable urban mobility solutions for guests and citizens in Elba island, highlighting lessons learnt.
- Understanding user needs and perceptions for shared mobility services in Malta, offering insights in behavioural change matters to support mobility innovations.
- Assessment of cycling as an alternative mode of transport in a car-dependent Mediterranean city (Rethymno-Crete) through study of the public opinion, identifying the mechanisms behind utility cycling and determining the aspects of using bike in cities for daily commuting.
- Promotion of sustainable mobility in tourist destinations through the development of Mobility Centers, illustrating the concept and methodology.
- Climate change mitigation through smart environmental monitoring of the urban ecosystem in insular touristic cities, presenting the experience from Rethymno and Madeira.
The book has been authored by a wide group of mobility experts and practitioners from the sectors of Academia and Research, Public Transport Operators, Non-profit Agencies, Business Consultants and Engineering
Editor of the book is Professor Theocharis Tsoutsos, Head of the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Systems Lab - School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete (Greece).
The book is available online at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-73715-3.