Paving the Future. Sustainable Road Design and Urban Mobility in Smart Cities

The Reprint of this Special Issue, entitled “Paving the Future: Sustainable Road Design and Urban Mobility in Smart Cities,” collects 10 research contributions published in the Smart Cities journal, in the section “Smart Urban Mobility, Transport, and Logistics.” It explores innovative solutions in road engineering that incorporate advanced technologies for the design of smart roads, efficient traffic management strategies, cooperative driving, and autonomous vehicles. Some research presented in this Reprint focuses on studying the interactions between different road users, proposing inclusive infrastructure solutions such as traffic calming measures, integrated warning systems for pedestrians, or strategies for balancing the presence of cyclists and autonomous vehicles, aiming to develop safer and more sustainable, livable urban road spaces. Strategies for developing efficient urban mobility are also explored in this Reprint by investigating the offer of public transport and proposing interventions to encourage its use. Furthermore, to underpin the design of human-centered road infrastructures and smart mobility systems, topics on the accuracy of traffic modeling are addressed by exploring the integration of some behavioral parameters inside these models. Another research work based on what-if scenario simulation through virtual twins proposes comparative road design assessment methodologies incorporating smart vehicle technologies. Aspects of road safety and maintenance management are also addressed using computer vision techniques. In line with the sustainable development goals of smart cities, the Reprint also includes themes on road resilience and the adaptive ability of autonomous vehicles in the face of complex road contexts. This Reprint offers an overview of methodological approaches, replicable models, lessons, and tools for early-stage evaluation of design solutions that integrate smart road and urban mobility technologies based on global case studies, useful for supporting the decision-maker process on sustainable, inclusive, resilient, and safe road infrastructures and mobility systems.