A New Dimension in Urban Transport: Integration of Autonomous Ground and Air Vehicles Into Sustainable Mobility
- Publication Type: Book / Research Book
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.4018/979-8-3373-4611-3.ch001
- Publisher: IGI Global
- City: New York
- Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
This chapter critically examines how Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) fit within Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUM). It argues that current SUM policies have reached an impasse and that AVs and UAM should not be seen as automatic or inherently sustainable solutions. Left lightly regulated, these technologies risk inducing extra travel, worsening congestion, and accelerating urban sprawl. To counter this, the chapter proposes a proactive, multi-layered governance framework built on three pillars. First, physical integration, requiring AVs and UAM to operate through Multimodal Mobility Hubs so they reinforce, not replace, mass transit. Second, digital integration, treating operational data as a public resource, using the Mobility Data Specification (MDS) for oversight, and embedding land-use and noise rules into Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM). Third, legal and economic governance, relying on adaptive regulation, open sandboxes, and pricing tools that discourage empty or low-occupancy trips while rewarding shared, transit-linked fleets.