Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Urban Air Mobility (UAM)'

The first part of a study of passenger flight experience of Urban Air Mobility was completed. This first part included the design of different Urban Air Mobility vehicle models, in which the passenger flight experience would be quantitatively measured. A first version of a simulator setup, in which the measurements were performed, was also developed. Three concept vehicle models, a single main rotor, a side-by-side rotor and a quadrotor, were designed in the conceptual design software NDARC. The vehicles were electrically propelled with battery technology based on future technology predictions and were designed for autonomous flight with one passenger. The emissions of the vehicles were analyzed and compared with an existing turboshaft helicopter. The interface between NDARC and the flight dynamics analysis and control system software FlightCODE, which was used to create control systems to the NDARC models,  was developed to fit the vehicle configurations considered. The simulator setup was created with a VR headset, the flight simulation software X-Plane, an external autopilot software and stress sensors. Trial runs with the simulator setup were performed and gave important data for the continued development. Planned upgrades of the simulation station were presented and the continuation of the study was discussed.

This thesis presents methods to place landing sites for the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concept. The analysis shows an integrated approach to establish UAM landing site requirements, place landing sites based on predicted demand, and estimate the costs associated with UAM landing sites. This thesis also makes estimates of fares associated with UAM operations. The methods presented are applied to three large urban centers in the United States. The analysis assumes an all-electric, advanced multi-rotor aircraft with autonomous navigational and Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capabilities to estimate UAM landing site requirements. The thesis presents the land area requirements of UAM landing sites using Federal Aviation Administration heliport design criteria considering ground-taxi configurations. The analysis performed employs a UAM vehicle with an equivalent Rotor Diameter (RD) of 43 feet. In this thesis, UAM demand is estimated using a mode choice model developed in a companion study (UAM Scenario Analysis). The methodology to locate UAM landing sites includes splitting and consolidation of UAM landing sites considering the Zillow Transaction and Assessment Dataset (ZTRAX) to introduce land-use size and cost constraints. The sites are split using a K-Means clustering method and are consolidated using a simple center of mass approach where the demand of each landing site is analogous to mass. The results presented in this thesis apply to 75 and 200 landing sites in each region and assume passenger Cost-Per-Mile (CPM) of $1.20 and $1.80, respectively. This thesis presents a comparative study on how the availability of land affects the splitting, consolidation, and relocation of UAM landing sites for each region, the number of landing sites, and the cost per passenger-mile.
Master of Science
This thesis aims at the landing sites for the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concept for commuting passengers in Northern California (17 counties), Southern California (9 counties), and Dallas-Fort Worth (12 counties) region. The aircraft for this service is designed to be an all-electric advanced multi-rotor aircraft with autonomous navigational and Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capabilities. The commuting trips considered is focused on passengers traveling to work from home and back. This thesis presents the land area requirements of these landing sites, which are calculated from the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Advisory Circular 150/5390-2C using ground-taxi configuration for a typical representative aircraft of an equivalent rotor diameter (RD) of 43 feet. The landing sites are then split into smaller sites and consolidated into larger sites. This thesis also presents a list of plots of land located within the 0.5 statute-mile boundaries of the landing sites for relocation. This entire analysis is based on the availability of land from the Zillow Transaction and Assessment Dataset (ZTRAX). The results presented in this thesis are for 75 and 200 landing sites set in the study area for a passenger Cost-Per-Mile (CPM) of $1.2 and $1.8, respectively. The results show how the availability of land changes for different CPM for a set of landing sites and affects the splitting, consolidation, and relocation of landing sites for each region. In the end, the thesis presents conclusions and recommendations unique to each region.

This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2020
Cataloged from the PDF of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 195-205).
Urban air mobility (UAM) refers to a set of vehicles and operational concepts that provide on-demand or scheduled air transportation services for passengers and cargo within a metropolitan area. Prior UAM systems based on helicopters or small aircraft did not achieve sustained, large-scale adoption. The goals of this thesis are: to identify the principal scaling constraints of UAM, to discern how the severity of these constraints varies with different implementation locations and operational concepts, and to assess the feasibility of large-scale UAM services in the United States subject to these constraints. Seven potential scaling constraints are identified through exploratory case studies of UAM operations in three U.S. cities. Of these constraints, the development of takeoff and landing areas (TOLAs) and the provision of air traffic control (ATC) services are proposed as principal near-term constraints and selected for detailed analysis.
The development of high-throughput, small-footprint TOLAs to enable UAM scaling in urban areas is evaluated as a multicommodity flow problem. TOLA design and aircraft performance attributes that enhance throughput per footprint are determined through tradespace analysis. TOLA throughput is found to be highly dependent on attributes of ATC, namely controller workload and separation minima. Estimates of maximum aircraft throughput capacity are developed for representative inner-city UAM TOLAs of various physical designs. The development of procedurally segregated airspace cutouts for UAM flight is shown to be a promising strategy to enable high-volume UAM operations within terminal airspace. Furthermore, four flight procedures are proposed to support UAM access to commercial airports under both instrument flight rules (IFR) and visual flight rules (VFR). Lastly, the magnitude of ATC restrictions on the scale of UAM operations is evaluated in the 34 largest U.S. metropolitan areas.
The degree to which ATC may constrain UAM scale is found to vary widely between these metropolitan areas potentially inhibiting service to over 75% of the population in the most restricted city but less than 15% in the least restricted city. The development of airspace cutouts for VFR UAM operations reduces this variation and increases population coverage from 65% to 80% in the median U.S. metropolitan area.
by Parker D. Vascik.
Ph. D.
Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics

In questa tesi si è deciso di analizzare l'impatto che la Urban Air Mobility avrà su tutto il mercato aeronautico. Si sono presi in esame aspetti positivi e criticità dei velivoli tipici di questa modalità di trasporto. Si sono poi isolati due casi studio che sono per distacco i progetti più sofisticati e che, secondo l'analisi sommaria svolta, forniscono maggiori possibilità operative. E' fondamentale sottolineare che i dati presentati da questa tesi si basano, almeno in parte, su specifiche di progetto che le varie aziende intendono raggiungere e quindi ancora passabili di modifiche e/o aggiustamenti.

Thesis: M.C.P., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2016.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 117-119).
Recently, the rapid development of smartphone technologies has brought new opportunities for the citizen travel survey. Based on a survey performed using a smartphone app, Moves, in Beijing, China, this thesis discusses the survey design and implementation process as well as the mobility analysis methods. The survey was launched in January 2016. This thesis is based on data from 258 subjects. The air quality is monitored through several objective measures. However, citizens' subjective feelings have rarely been investigated. This thesis develops the Perceived Air Quality (PAQ) measure that captures the sensory reactions to air pollution. The PAQ data are collected through questionnaires, which are part of the travel survey. A strong correlation is found between daily average PAQ and AQI, indicating that the PAQ could become a meaningful indicator for air quality. However, the strong correlation only exists in the aggregated level. Finally, the thesis evaluates the association between travel behavior and air quality. Travel behavior is measured by number of trips, number of non-motorized trips, percentage of non-motorized trips, total distance traveled and total travel time. The air quality is measured by AQI and PAQ. The Random Effect regression models show that the association between travel behavior and air quality is pretty weak. It indicates that currently not many Beijing residents are taking air quality as a crucial factor when making travel decisions.
by Zelin Li.
M.C.P.

Il sempre maggiore interesse per l’Urban Air Mobility (UAM), una modalità di trasporto innovativa che si basa sull’utilizzo di velivoli senza pilota capaci di trasportare merci o persone, è giustificato dal fatto che, operando nel lower space, questi servizi, potrebbero comportare una cospicua diminuzione dei tempi di viaggio all’interno di contesti urbani molto congestionati. Allo stato attuale, esistono ancora pochi studi in letteratura riguardo ai molteplici aspetti che occorre considerare per valutare l’opportunità di introdurre servizi UAM in contesti urbani. Elementi come la localizzazione e gli spostamenti di accesso ed egresso da e verso i vertiporti, la sicurezza delle operazioni di volo, la domanda attesa e l’intermodalità con il sistema di trasporto terrestre sono temi fondamentali da indagare per lo sviluppo di questi servizi. Il seguente lavoro di tesi si è quindi concentrato sull’analisi critica di studi e simulazioni presenti in letteratura riguardo ai temi appena esposti allo scopo di individuare gli elementi chiave da utilizzare per poter identificare un possibile scenario UAM in un contesto italiano. Sulla base dei risultati di questa analisi, è stato sviluppato uno studio dettagliato riguardo alla possibilità, utilizzando servizi UAM, di inserire un collegamento tra l’aeroporto G. Marconi e l’area metropolitana della città di Bologna, incluse alcune delle principali città ricadenti nel bacino di attrazione aeroportuale. Dall’analisi effettuata è emerso come indicatori socioeconomici quali il reddito medio e la densità abitativa, ma anche altre variabili come il tempo di viaggio per gli spostamenti di accesso ed egresso all’aeroporto e l’ubicazione dei vertiporti siano rilevanti per individuare in quali dei contesti considerati nel caso test italiano sia più conveniente inserire questo tipo di servizi. Dalle analisi svolte emerge che solo alcune realtà analizzate sono adatte ad accogliere e favorire un possibile sviluppo di servizi UAM.

A proof-of-concept turbulence modeling approach for rotorcraft in low-altitude, low-speed conditions based on parametric Control Equivalent Turbulence Input (CETI) models was developed. In its original form, CETI-model outputs are disturbance control inputs to replicate the vehicle motion response as if it was operating in turbulent conditions. Consequently, a CETI-model is directly tied to a specific vehicle, and model extraction requires flight data in turbulent conditions. The purpose of the new model was to find Atmospheric Disturbance Equivalent (ADE) inputs that would be applicable to all rotorcraft. The equivalent turbulence components were obtained through linear combinations of the control signals generated through white-noise driven transfer functions that constitute the original CETI-model. \\ A preliminary evaluation of the proposed modeling approach was conducted by simulating turbulence vehicle response in low-altitude, low-speed conditions. The considered vehicle was a NASA reference concept aircraft designed for Urban Air Mobility applications, namely a 1-passenger electric quadrotor using collective controls. The results were compared to those generated through conventional theoretical turbulence models, i.e the Von Karman model. \\ Preliminary results showed promising implications that an empirical atmospheric turbulence model with the proposed approach is feasible. Computed Atmospheric Disturbance Equivalent turbulence components generated vehicle response consistent with the original CETI-model in the vehicle linear axes. Vehicle response in angular rates showed less consistency. The NASA Quadrotor vehicle response showed over-all validating resemblance between the new CETI-ADE model and the existing von Karman model, but with observable differences that legitimated the development of a new model. To meet the final objectives, the new model needs to be refined and validated further by pilot evaluation.
En konceptuell metod för att modellera turbulens för rotordrivna fordon i urbana flygförhållanden utvecklades. Metoden baserades på existerande parametriska Control Equivalent Turbulence Input (CETI) modeller. I sin ursprungliga form utgörs CETI-modellens utsignal av styrsignaler med syfte att replikera fordonets rörelserespons som om det opererade i turbulenta förhållanden. Följaktligen så är en CETI-modell direkt bunden till ett specifikt fordon och att extrahera en modell kräver tillgång till relevant flygdata i turbulens. Syftet med den nya modellen var att finna ADE (Atmospheric Disturbance Equivalent)-utsignaler som vore tillämpbara till en bredare klass av rotordrivna fordon. De ekvivalenta komponenterna för ett turbulent hastighetsfält erhölls genom linjärkombinationer av utdata från en CETI-modell. Utdatan genererades genom att filtrera vitt gaussiskt brus genom överföringsfunktionerna som utgör den ursprungliga CETI-modellen. En preliminär utvärdering av den föreslagna modelleringsmetoden utfördes genom att simulera rörelsesvaret hos ett multi-rotorfordon under låghöjd och låghastighetsförhållanden. Det betraktade fordonet var ett NASA-referensfordon designat för tillämpningar inom Urban Air Mobility, specifikt en elektrisk quadrotor för en passagerare. Som referensram jämfördes resultaten med de som genererades genom konventionella teoretiska turbulensmodeller, här Von Karman-modellen. De preliminära resultaten visar lovande indikationer att en empirisk turbulensmodell med den föreslagna metoden är gångbar. För att uppfylla de slutliga målen bör modellen förfinas och valideras ytterligare genom pilotutvärdering.

Background: A continuously growing urban population leads to congested urban areas. As a result, people are wasting time being stuck in traffic. One way of solving this problem is to use the air for moving people. Thus, companies all over the globe are working extensively on approaches for Urban Air Mobility such as air taxis. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is the identification of key determinants influencing the acceptance of air taxis from a potential user perspective. Thereby, the thesis develops the Urban Air Mobility Acceptance Model (UAMAM) as an extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Method: An explanatory online survey was conducted to test the hypotheses in the proposed UAMAM. Data from 321 respondents living in cities larger than one million inhabitants representing the potential target group was collected. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS SEM) was used to assess the measurement model in terms of validity and reliability and the structural model in terms of hypotheses testing and strength of relationships between proposed variables. Further, a multigroup analysis has been examined to identify significant differences among groups. Conclusion: The results show that the attitude, which is strongly influenced by the perceived usefulness, as well as subjective norm, travel cost and the personal innovativeness are key determinants affecting the users’ behavioral intention to use air taxis. Further, moderating effects of age on the relation between time saving and behavioral intention as well as on the relation between personal innovativeness and behavioral intention were identified. Additionally, moderating effects of occupational status on the relation between travel cost and behavioral intention were found.

Persistent high levels of NO2 have severe health effects on population. These are often found in large urban conurbations with high vehicle densities. In Barcelona, with one of the highest vehicle densities in Europe, the two traffic air quality monitoring stations are continuously exceeding the limit values established by the 2008/50/EC Ambient Air Quality Directive. To reduce traffic emissions and associated air pollution levels, Barcelona is applying a series of traffic restrictions that attempt to renew and reduce the amount of circulating vehicles within the city. These include the reduction of private vehicle space in specific areas or urban corridors of the city (superblocks and tactical urbanism) and the implementation of a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) that restricts the entrance of most polluting vehicles in the city. In order to quantify and evaluate the level of effectiveness of the applied restrictions, air quality modelling is presented as a necessary tool to complement the information provided by the air quality monitoring stations. In this sense, the present thesis evaluates the impact that the different restrictions have on the resulting NOx emissions and NO2 concentration levels in Barcelona. To accomplish that, we developed an integrated air quality system composed by the VISUM traffic simulator, the emission model HERMESv3 and the street-scale dispersion model CALIOPE-Urban, which integrates the mesoscale CALIOPE air quality forecast system and the Gaussian dispersion model R-LINE. The thesis first explains the coupling, calibration and validation process of the traffic-emission system. This is followed by an emission sensitivity analysis of typically high uncertainty emission features such as different approaches in regard of vehicle fleet composition, public bus transport implementation, temperature effect or the application of non-exhaust PM sources. We also explore the limitations of the developed macroscopic system by comparing it with a microscopic -highly detailed- approach composed by the microscopic traffic simulator Aimsun Next and the PHEMLight vehicle emission model. Finally, we explain the coupling of the traffic-emission system with the mesoscale CALIOPE and street-scale CALIOPE-Urban air quality systems. In this study, we apply the traffic restrictions previously mentioned in Barcelona to observe their effects in traffic routing, traffic emissions and resulting air quality levels at a resolution of 20 meters. Our results show that the only measures with an overall reduction on NOx emissions are the ones considering the LEZ or a reduction on the traffic demand of -25%. The combination of all strategies with the demand reduction shows the highest NOx emission decrease (-30%) while if traffic demand is kept constant, the computed NOx reductions are of -13%. The strategies limited to restrict the vehicle space on the city show a negligible impact on the overall traffic emissions (+0.1%), although they generate important street-level emission gradients, up to +/-17% in NOx. The impact on NO2 air quality levels follows the same pattern as for emissions. The scenarios comprising the LEZ and the -25% demand reduction show the highest NO2 reductions (-5 to -10 and -10 to -20 ug/m3 in daily average NO2 concentration values). The unique application of traffic measures limiting the vehicle space show limited impacts of +/-5 ug/m3 due to traffic re-routing, as previously commented. Considering the obtained results, the reductions achieved are insufficient to ensure compliant air quality levels, and are very far from reaching the new WHO air quality guideline values. The applied restrictions must be accompanied by a larger decrease in the total number of circulating vehicles throughout the city which could be achieved, for instance, by the application of a congestion charge, or the implementation of local zero emission zones similar to the ones that are currently being deployed in the city of London.
La persistente acumulación de altos valores de NO2 presenta serios problemas de salud. Esto ocurre con frecuencia en grandes zonas urbanas con altas densidades de tráfico. En Barcelona, con una de las mayores densidades de vehículos de Europa, las dos estaciones monitoreo de calidad del aire de tráfico exceden de forma continuada los valores limite establecidos por la 2008/50/EC Ambient Air Quality Directive. Para reducir las emisiones de tráfico Barcelona esta aplicando una serie de restricciones al tráfico con el propósito de renovar y reducir la cantidad de vehículos circulante. Estas medidas incluyen la reducción de espacio al vehículo privado en áreas específicas o en corredores de la ciudad (Supermanzanas o urbanismo táctico) y la implementación de una Zona de Bajas Emisiones (ZBE) que restringe la entrada a los vehículos mas contaminantes. Para cuantificar y evaluar el nivel de eficacia de las restricciones mencionadas, la modelización de calidad del aire se presenta como una herramienta necesaria para complementar la información dada por las estaciones de monitoreo de calidad del aire. Esta tesis evalúa el impacto que las diferentes restricciones tienen en los valores de emisión de NOx y de concentración de NO2 en Barcelona. Para ello, hemos desarrollado un sistema de calidad del aire compuesto por el simulador de tráfico VISUM, el modelo de emisiones HERMESv3 y el modelo de dispersión urbana CALIOPE-Urban, que integra el sistema mesoescalar de calidad del aire CALIOPE y el sistema Gaussiano de dispersión R-LINE. En la tesis se detalla el acoplamiento y el proceso de calibración y validación del sistema de tráfico-emisiones. A continuación, se realiza un estudio de sensibilidad valorando diferentes aproximaciones de variables de alta incertidumbre para la estimación de emisiones tales como la composición vehicular, la implementación del transporte público, el efecto de la temperatura o la consideración de fuentes PM no provenientes del gas de escape. También exploramos las limitaciones del sistema macroscópico desarrollado comparándolo con un sistema de alto detalle compuesto por el simulador micro Aimsun Next y el modelo de emisiones vehiculares PHEMLight. Finalmente, explicamos el acoplamiento del sistema tráfico-emisiones con el sistema de calidad del aire mesoescalar CALIOPE y el urbano CALIOPE-Urban que usamos para evaluar las restricciones de tráfico antes mencionadas en Barcelona y observar sus efectos en las rutas de tráfico, emisiones y concentración a una resolución de 20 metros. Los resultados muestran que las únicas medidas con una reducción global de emisiones NOx son las que consideran la ZBE o una reducción de demanda del -25%. La combinación de todas las estrategias con la reducción de demanda muestra las mayores reducciones en NOx (-30%) mientras que si la demanda se mantiene constante las reducciones observadas son del -13%. Las estrategias que se limitan a restringir el espacio del vehículo muestran reducciones negligibles (+0.1%), aunque generan importantes gradientes a nivel de calle que pueden llegar al +/-17% en NOx. El impacto en los valores de concentración de NO2 sigue los mismos patrones que las emisiones. Los escenarios que comprenden la ZBE y la reducción de demanda del -25% muestran las mayores reducciones (-5 a -10 y -10 a -20 ug/m3 de NO2). La consideración de las medidas que únicamente limitan el espacio al vehículo muestran reducciones de NO2 de +/-5 ug/m3 debido a la redistribución de rutas de tráfico. Concluimos que las reducciones obtenidas son insuficientes para asegurar valores de calidad del aire conforme a los límites de la UE, y están muy lejos de llegar a los nuevos valores guía de la OMS. Las restricciones aplicadas deben ir acompañadas por un mayor descenso del total de vehículos circulantes que podría conseguirse, por ejemplo, mediante la aplicación de un peaje de congestión o la implementación de zonas de cero emisiones, similares a las que se están desplegando actualmente en la ciudad de Londres
Enginyeria ambiental

Rising concerns related to the effects of traffic congestion have led to the search for alternative transportation solutions. Advances in battery technology have resulted in an increase of electric vehicles (EVs), which serve to reduce the impact of many of the negative consequences of congestion, including pollution and the cost of wasted fuel. Furthermore, the energy-efficiency and quiet operation of electric motors have made feasible concepts such as Urban Air Mobility (UAM), in which electric aircraft transport passengers in dense urban areas prone to severe traffic slowdowns. Electrified transportation may be the solution needed to combat urban gridlock, but many logistical questions related to the design and operation of the resultant transportation networks remain to be answered. This research begins by examining the near-term effects of EV charging networks. Stationary plug-in methods have been the traditional approach to recharge electric ground vehicles; however, dynamic charging technologies that can charge vehicles while they are in motion have recently been introduced that have the potential to eliminate the inconvenience of long charging wait times and the high cost of large batteries. Using an agent-based model verified with traffic data, different network designs incorporating these dynamic chargers are evaluated based on the predicted benefit to EV drivers. A genetic optimization is designed to optimally locate the chargers. Heavily-used highways are found to be much more effective than arterial roads as locations for these chargers, even when installation cost is taken into consideration. This work also explores the potential long-term effects of electrified transportation on urban congestion by examining the implementation of a UAM system. Interdependencies between potential electric air vehicle ranges and speeds are explored in conjunction with desired network structure and size in three different regions of the United States. A method is developed to take all these considerations into account, thus allowing for the creation of a network optimized for UAM operations when vehicle or topological constraints are present. Because the optimization problem is NP-hard, five heuristic algorithms are developed to find potential solutions with acceptable computation times, and are found to be within 10% of the optimal value for the test cases explored. The results from this exploration are used in a second agent-based transportation model that analyzes operational parameters associated with UAM networks, such as service strategy and dispatch frequency, in addition to the considerations associated with network design. General trends between the effectiveness of UAM networks and the various factors explored are identified and presented.

A Marrakech, circuler dans la ville relève du défi. La ville connaît plusieurs problèmes en termes de mobilité, de stationnement et de transports publics. Les déplacements urbains posent également la question de la fluidité des mouvements, de la sécurité des usagers, de la qualité de vie et de la maîtrise des pollutions sonores et atmosphériques. La mobilité urbaine constitue donc un enjeu actuel et à venir pour la ville de Marrakech. Par ailleurs, la mobilité est un bon indicateur du comportement d’une ville. Comment les Marrakchis se déplacent-ils au quotidien dans leur ville ? Qui se déplace et pour quels motifs ? A quelle fréquence et à quel prix ? Marrakech enregistre 5 millions de mouvements par jour. Sur l’ensemble des déplacements, 60% se font à pied, 21% en deux roues, 15% en voiture et 4% par les transports en commun. Paradoxalement, cette répartition pose déjà des problèmes de congestion et d’insécurité du trafic. Pour quelles raisons Marrakech est-elle arrivée à ce constat ? Quelles sont les mesures mises en place pour améliorer la mobilité urbaine ? D’autres propositions d’amélioration peuvent-elles être apportées en termes de stationnement, de circulation et de transports ?
To drive and to walk in Marrakesh is very demanding. Main issues concerns mobility, parking and public transport. The global approach on urban transportation also concerns the freely flowing, the safety of the users, the quality of life as well as the sound and air pollutions. Therefore, urban mobility is a current and a future issue in the city of Marrakesh. Moreover, the concept of urban mobility is a relevant indicator of the urban policy of a city. How do the unhabitants daily move in their city? More precisely, who moves and what are the reasons that lead people to move? What is the frequency of these moves and what is the price to pay for moving? Five millions of daily trips are counted in Marrakesh. These daily trips share out like this way: 60% are on-foot trips, 21% are two-wheels trips, 15% are car trips and 4% are public transport trips. The paradox consists in this sharing already causes problems of traffic jam and insecurity of the roads. How Marrakech has led to this point? What kind of measures have been chosen to improve urban mobility in Marrakesh? Are there other suggestions that could make the parking, the driving and the transportation to get better?

Background Bikesharing is a versatile intervention, that enables cheap and convenient cycling for urban populations, and according to recent literature, has a positive impact on health, safety and the economy. Many of these impacts are based on the assumption of a modal shift induced by bikesharing, i.e. implementing a Bicycle Sharing System (BSS) will increase population cycling. However, the evidence is inconclusive. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the intervention of implementing a BSS increases cycling. The study was conducted using bicycle count data from Helsinki between 2014 to 2018. Methods A controlled interrupted time series design was used in combination with segmented regression as the method. An intervention series and a control series were analysed separately. The slopes (trend) and intercepts (level) of pre-intervention (2014&2015) segments were compared with post-intervention segments (2016-2018). The same analysis was performed in both intervention series and control series.  ResultsThe results from the intervention series showed an increase of 105% in the level of the outcome after the implementation of the intervention. Simultaneously, the control series showed that the underlying trend of cycling remained largely unchanged during the whole study period (level increased by 3%). Stratified analysis supported these results in both intervention and control series.   Conclusion The analysis of the intervention series revealed, that the level of the outcome increased sharply after the intervention, implying that the intervention had an immediate effect. However, the lack of statistical significance in the analysis of the slopes made it impossible to determine if the effect was sustained.

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans le contexte des « villes intelligentes », où le traitement de l'information améliore la qualité de vie. Elle étudie la perception de l'environnement, et plus particulièrement la perception de la pollution de l'air en ville, à l'aide de capteurs sur vélos. Le premier chapitre introduit les défis techniques et scientifiques, en terme de collecte de l'information et de modélisation, appliqués au domaine de l'aérologie. Le deuxième chapitre s'intéresse à la conception d'une flotte d'instruments mobiles de mesure de la pollution de l'air. Nous caractérisons la forme du réseau de capteurs nécessaire à la modélisation, d'une part à l'aide de la littérature et d'autre part via une simulation. Le troisième chapitre expose notre réalisation d'un tel instrument. Nous l'avons articulé autour d'un micro-capteur à métal-oxyde semi-conducteur (capteur MOx) de NO2 et CO, le MiCS-4514, et évalué ses performances en milieux contrôlés. Le quatrième chapitre présente les deux déploiements de cet instrument dans la ville de Toulouse, d'abord auprès d'une association de location de vélos puis avec des « vélo-taffeurs » de notre laboratoire, et le jeu de données collecté. Enfin, nous estimons les niveaux de pollution en NO2 et en CO dans la ville
This thesis takes place in the context of "smart cities", where the information processing improves the quality of life. It studies the perception of the environment and especially the perception of air pollution in the city using sensors on bikes. The first chapter introduces the technical and scientific challenges in terms of information collection and modeling applied to aerology. The second chapter presents the design of a fleet of mobile instruments for measuring air pollution. We characterize the shape of the sensor network needed for modeling, on the one hand using the literature and on the other hand using a simulation. The third chapter deals with the development of such an instrument. We have built our instrument around a semiconductor metal oxide micro-sensor (MOx sensor) of NO2 and CO, the MiCS-4514, and evaluated its performance in controlled environments. The fourth chapter presents the two deployments of this instrument in the city of Toulouse in France, first with a bicycle rental association and then with bikers from our laboratory, and the dataset collected. Finally, we estimate the pollution levels in NO2 and CO in the city

With the growing use of public transport, the means that currently exist become insufficient and incapable of meeting the needs of the population, giving rise to the urgent need to develop a new means of mobility. From the investment in technologies such as automation, a concept emerges that involves circulation in the airspace of cities, Urban Air Mobility which can be used for both passenger and freight transport and proves to be a more sustainable option to respond to mobility needs of citizens. This study seeks to find out in the Portuguese population which groups will be more receptive to embrace this new form of mobility, through the levels of acceptance and intention to use air vehicles. Data collection is done using an online survey, where respondents are presented with various factors that may impact how they will accept or use the technology when it is implemented, determining factors such as safety, mobility habits, environmental impact, or possible benefits or disadvantages of its application. The survey was distributed in Portugal and valid 485 responses were obtained, the collected data was applied in order to develop a cluster analysis, preceded by a principal component analysis to ensure a more concrete division of groups, and also non-parametric analyses. This study intends to understand which groups within the Portuguese population will be more open to receiving UAM as a reliable means of transport and which factors are nuclear to the acceptance of this technology.
Com a crescente utilização dos transportes públicos, os meios que existem atualmente tornam-se insuficientes e incapazes de satisfazer as necessidades da população, surgindo a urgência de desenvolver um novo meio de mobilidade. Recorrendo ao investimento em tecnologias como a automatização, surge um conceito que envolve circulação no espaço aéreo das cidades, Mobilidade Aérea Urbana, que pode ser utilizada para transporte tanto de passageiros como de mercadorias, e demonstra ser uma opção mais sustentável para responder às necessidades de mobilidade dos cidadãos. O presente estudo procura apurar na população portuguesa, que grupos estarão mais recetivos a abraçar esta nova forma de mobilidade, através dos níveis de aceitação e intenção de uso dos veículos aéreos. A recolha de dados é feita recorrendo a um inquérito online, onde inquiridos são apresentados a vários fatores que podem impactar na forma como estes podem vir a aceitar ou utilizar a tecnologia quando esta for implementada, fatores determinantes como segurança, hábitos de mobilidade, o impacto ambiental, ou possíveis benefícios ou desvantagens da sua aplicação. O inquérito foi distribuído em Portugal e foram obtidas 485 respostas, os dados recolhidos foram aplicados de forma a desenvolver uma análise de clusters, antecedida de uma análise de componentes principais para garantir uma divisão dos grupos mais concreta, e também análises não paramétricas. Este estudo pretende entender que grupos, dentro da população portuguesa, estarão mais abertos a receber a UAM como um meio de transporte fiável e que fatores são determinantes para a aceitação desta tecnologia.

In the 21st century, urban areas are characterized by congested roads and bad air quality due to CO2 emissions. The current transport infrastructure is reaching its limits and experts believe that urban air mobility could improve traffic and preserve the environment. Electric air taxis, which can carry two to five people and operate nearly emission free, can be a means for that. Besides small aviation startups, some automotive companies are also interested in entering the market. This dissertation revealed that urban air mobility firms and automotive companies have an interest in collaborating with one another to exploit synergies and shape the future of mobility. A few sporadic collaborations already exist, which will probably increase in the future, according to the conducted expert interviews. In particular, there will be an opportunity in the joint development of sales / branding strategies or digital mobility platforms. Furthermore, a scenario analysis showed that the most likely scenario of urban air mobility in 5 – 10 years will be characterized by a moderate adoption of the new passenger transport service. Many regulatory hurdles and a low public acceptance will complicate the market entry. However, experts were convinced that electric air taxis will eventually enter the market and revolutionize urban mobility, reduce congestion and preserve the environment.
No século XXI, as áreas urbanas são caracterizadas por estradas congestionadas e má qualidade do ar devido às emissões de CO2. A infraestrutura de transporte atual está a atingir os seus limites e os especialistas acreditam que a mobilidade aérea urbana poderia vir a melhorar o tráfego e preservar o meio ambiente. Os táxis aéreos elétricos, que podem transportar duas a cinco pessoas e operam quase sem emissões, podem ser um meio para que tal aconteça. Além de pequenas startups de aviação, algumas empresas automóveis têm também interesse em entrar no mercado. Esta dissertação revelou que empresas de mobilidade aérea urbana e empresas automóveis têm interesse em colaborar umas com as outras de forma a explorar sinergias e moldar o futuro da mobilidade. Já existem algumas colaborações esporádicas, que provavelmente aumentarão no futuro, de acordo com as entrevistas conduzidas com especialistas. Em particular, haverá uma oportunidade no desenvolvimento conjunto de estratégias de vendas / branding ou plataformas de mobilidade digital. Adicionalmente, uma análise de cenários mostrou que o cenário mais provável para a mobilidade aérea urbana em 5 – 10 anos será caracterizado por uma adoção moderada do novo serviço de transporte de passageiros. Muitos obstáculos regulatórios e uma baixa aceitação do público irão complicar a entrada no mercado. No entanto, os especialistas estavam convencidos que os táxis aéreos elétricos acabarão eventualmente por entrar no mercado e revolucionar a mobilidade urbana, reduzir o congestionamento e preservar o meio ambiente

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geospatial Technologies
Nowadays, constant overpopulation and urban expansion in cities worldwide have led to several transport-related challenges. Traffic congestion, long commuting, parking difficulties, automobile dependence, high infrastructure maintenance costs, poor public transportation, and loss of public space are some of the problems that afflict major metropolitan areas. Trying to provide a solution for the future inner-city transportation, several companies have worked in recent years to design aircraft prototypes that base their technology on current UAVs. Therefore, vehicles with electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) technology are rapidly emerging so that they can be included in the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) system. For this to become a reality, space agencies, governments and academics are generating concepts and recommendations to be considered a safe means of transportation for citizens. However, one of the most relevant points for this future implementation is the suitable location of the potential UAM hubs within the metropolitan areas. Since although UAM vehicles can take advantage of infrastructure such as roofs of buildings to clear and land, several criteria must be considered to find the ideal location. As a solution, this thesis seeks to carry out an integral rooftop-place suitability analysis by involving both the essential variables of the urban ecosystem and the adequate rooftop surfaces for UAM operability. The study area selected for this research is Manhattan (New York, U.S), which is the most densely populated metropolitan area of one of the megacities in the world. The applied methodology has an unsupervised-data-driving and GIS-based approach, which is covered in three sections. The first part is responsible for analyzing the suitability of place when evaluating spatial patterns given by the application of Self-Organizing Maps on the urban ecosystem variables attached to the city census blocks. The second part is based on the development of an algorithm in Python for both the evaluation of the flatness of the roof surfaces and the definition of the UAM platform type suitable for its settlement. The final stage performs a combined analysis of the suitability indexes generated for the development of UAM hubs. Results reflect that 16% of the roofs in the study area have high integral suitability for the development of UAM hubs, where UAVs platforms and Vertistops (small size platforms) are the types that can be the most settled in Manhattan. The reproducibility self-assessment of this research when considering Nüst et al. [45] criteria (https://osf.io/j97zp/) is: 2, 1, 2, 1, 1 (input data, preprocessing, methods, computational environment, results). GitHub repository code is available in https://github.com/carlosjdelgadonovaims/rooftop-place_suitability_analysis_for_Urban_Air_Mobility_hubs

The present work reports the impacts on urban mobility and air quality in Lisbon, Portugal as a consequence of the imposed restrictions to curb the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes COVID-19 disease. During the first national emergency period (18-03-2020 to 03-05-2020) the sharp reductions in anthropogenic activities, most importantly road traffic, resulted in generally reduced criteria air pollutant concentration when compared to a homologous baseline from 2013-2019 measured in the six air quality monitoring stations throughout the city. The most negatively impacted air pollutant was 𝑁𝑂2 with a reduction of 54.35% in traffic stations and 28.62% reduction in background stations. An exception to this trend was the observed 𝑂3 concentration increase of 12.89% in traffic stations which is potentially due to changes in the 𝑁𝑂𝑥:VOC ratio and reduced 𝑂3 titration by 𝑁𝑂 as a result of sharp decrease of 𝑁𝑂𝑥 emissions in the usually most polluted city hotspots. This phenomenon raises the need of additional measures to mitigate 𝑂3 pollution increases as part of the Lisbon and Tagus Valley air quality improvement plan which aims to reduce 𝑁𝑂2 concentrations, namely specific measures for VOC management. Google mobility indicator for local commerce was found to be the main anthropogenic activity indicator for Lisbon with a moderate and positive correlation with 𝑁𝑂2 concentration (r=+0.54), whereas the average wind speed was the most relevant natural phenomena contributing to 𝑁𝑂2 concentration with a moderate and negative correlation (r=-0.53). A regressor ML pipeline was trained to predict 𝑁𝑂2 concentration with the available anthropogenic activity, weather, and air pollutant inputs from March/2020 to March/2021, achieving 𝑅2=0.925 on the test set and subsequent feature importance analysis uncovered that anthropogenic features contribute to 41.19% of 𝑁𝑂2 concentrations and natural phenomena features contribute to 58.81%.
O presente trabalho relata os impactos na mobilidade urbana e qualidade do ar em Lisboa, Portugal, como consequência das restrições impostas para conter a transmissão do vírus SARS-CoV-2, causador da doença COVID-19, onde durante o primeiro período de emergência nacional (18-03-2020 a 03-05-2020) as reduções acentuadas nas atividades antropogénicas, nomeadamente o tráfego rodoviário, resultaram na redução generalizada das concentrações dos principais poluentes atmosféricos medidos nas seis estações de monitorização da qualidade do ar em Lisboa quando comparados ao período homólogo de 2013-2019, sendo o 𝑁𝑂2 o poluente atmosférico mais impactado com uma redução média de 54.35% nas estações de tráfego e 28.62% nas estações de fundo. Uma exceção a esta tendência foi o aumento observado na concentração de 𝑂3 de 12.89% nas estações de tráfego potencialmente devido a mudanças na relação 𝑁𝑂𝑥:COV e redução da ação de redução de 𝑂3 por reação com 𝑁𝑂 como resultado da redução acentuada da concentração de 𝑁𝑂𝑥 nas zonas habitualmente mais poluídas da cidade. Este fenómeno reforça a necessidade de medidas que mitiguem o aumento da poluição de 𝑂3 no âmbito do plano de melhoria da qualidade do ar de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo que visa a redução das concentrações de 𝑁𝑂2, nomeadamente medidas específicas de gestão de COV. O indicador de mobilidade da Google para o comércio local em Lisboa foi identificado como a atividade antropogénica mais relevante com uma correlação moderada e positiva com a concentração 𝑁𝑂2 (r=+0.54). A velocidade média do vento foi identificada como a atividade natural mais relevante com uma correlação moderada e negativa com a concentração 𝑁𝑂2 (r=-0.53). Foi treinada uma ML pipeline para prever a concentração 𝑁𝑂2 que teve como entradas os dados de atividade antropogénica, meteorológica e qualidade do ar desde Março/2020 a Março/2021, obtendo 𝑅2=0.925 no conjunto de teste. A análise de importância dos atributos identificam as variáveis antropogénicas como responsáveis por 41.19% da concentração 𝑁𝑂2 enquanto que as variáveis naturais respondem por 58.81%.

Fan, Xiaopeng.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-108).
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
LIST OF FIGURES --- p.viii
LIST OF TABLES --- p.x
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS --- p.xi
Chapter Chapter One - --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1
Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1
Chapter 1.2 --- Hong Kong as a Case Study --- p.4
Chapter 1.3 --- Research Objectives --- p.6
Chapter 1.4 --- Significance of the Research --- p.7
Chapter Chapter Two - --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.9
Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.9
Chapter 2.1.1 --- Origin of environmental justice --- p.9
Chapter 2.1.2 --- Concept --- p.10
Chapter 2.2 --- Review of environmental inequality studies --- p.12
Chapter 2.2.1 --- The siting of hazardous waste treatment storage or disposal facilities --- p.12
Chapter 2.2.2 --- Release of toxics from industries and facilities --- p.13
Chapter 2.2.3 --- Population exposure to noise and air pollution --- p.15
Chapter 2.2.3.1 --- Noise --- p.15
Chapter 2.2.3.2 --- Air pollution --- p.16
Chapter 2.2.4 --- Dissimilarity of the findings --- p.20
Chapter 2.3 --- Research methodology --- p.21
Chapter 2.3.1 --- Environmental indicators and parameters --- p.21
Chapter 2.3.2 --- Pollution exposure assessment method --- p.22
Chapter 2.3.3 --- Choice of socioeconomic indicators --- p.24
Chapter 2.3.3.1 --- Demographic and socioeconomic indicators --- p.24
Chapter 2.3.3.2 --- Source of socioeconomic data --- p.26
Chapter 2.3.4 --- Study unit --- p.26
Chapter 2.3.5 --- Analytical methods --- p.29
Chapter 2.4 --- Factors contributing to inequality --- p.29
Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.31
Chapter Chapter Three - --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.33
Chapter 3.1 --- Research Framework --- p.33
Chapter 3.2 --- Study Unit and Sampling Strategy --- p.34
Chapter 3.2.1 --- Study unit used in other studies --- p.35
Chapter 3.2.2 --- Study unit --- p.35
Chapter 3.2.3 --- Sampling Method --- p.37
Chapter 3.3 --- Air pollution exposure assessment --- p.39
Chapter 3.3.1 --- Assessment method --- p.40
Chapter 3.3.2 --- Calculation of emission inventory --- p.42
Chapter 3.3.2.1 --- Emission factors estimated by EMFAC-HK model --- p.42
Chapter 3.3.2.2 --- Vehicular emission inventory --- p.44
Chapter 3.3.3 --- Simulation by air pollution dispersion model --- p.44
Chapter 3.3.3.1 --- IMMISnet Model --- p.44
Chapter 3.3.3.2 --- Data requirement of MMISn e t Model --- p.45
Chapter 3.3.3.3 --- Output ofIMMISnet Model --- p.49
Chapter 3.4 --- Population socioeconomic indicators --- p.51
Chapter 3.5 --- Analytical method --- p.53
Chapter 3.6 --- Summary --- p.53
Chapter Chapter Four - --- FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION --- p.55
Chapter 4.1 --- Pollution Exposure Assessment --- p.55
Chapter 4.2 --- The differential exposure of different age and SDI groups --- p.60
Chapter 4.2.1 --- The selection of socioeconomic indicators --- p.60
Chapter 4.2.2 --- Decile analysis --- p.64
Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- Differential exposure based on age groups --- p.64
Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Differential exposure based on SDI groups --- p.71
Chapter 4.3 --- Regression Analysis --- p.75
Chapter 4.3.1 --- Pearson's correlation analysis --- p.75
Chapter 4.3.2 --- Stepwise regression analysis --- p.81
Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.87
Chapter Chapter Five - --- CONCLUSION --- p.90
Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.90
Chapter 5.2 --- Summary of Findings --- p.90
Chapter 5.3 --- Limitation of the study --- p.92
Chapter 5.4 --- Recommendations for further study --- p.93
APPENDIX --- p.94
REFERENCES --- p.101

World's current mobility systems are often inefficient and unsustainable, therefore the need for new schemes to satisfy mobility needs appears. This quest has given the impetus to the industry to invest in new technologies such as autonomous systems enabling self-driving vehicles. In this context, the concept of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), a term used for short-distance, on-demand, highly automated, passenger or cargo-carrying air mobility services, has arisen. This thesis presents the introduction phase of strategic planning for the era of urban air mobility focusing on the user and citizen acceptance of the system required for its operation. A survey is designed to capture the perception of citizens and potential users on aspects such as safety, security, the well-being of the society (including issues of aesthetics, quality of life, social impacts), driving behaviour, mobility behaviour, expected benefits and their impact on the acceptance and the intention to use these systems. The acceptance of citizens and potential users (considered as two different groups) is also analysed in terms of its potential uses (e.g. health emergencies, leisure, connectivity to remote regions). The survey is applied to Portugal area and 391 responses were gathered. The collected data is analysed through correlation analysis, ANOVA and non-parametric analysis. The thesis introduces a framework of analysis for the introduction of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. This study will reveal which are the main factors that have an impact on citizens' embracement and intention to use this new transport mode and that should be considered by stakeholders.
Os actuais sistemas de mobilidade do mundo são frequentemente ineficientes e insustentáveis, pelo que surge a necessidade de novos sistemas de forma a satisfazer as necessidades de mobilidade. Esta procura deu o impulso à indústria para investir em novas tecnologias, tais como sistemas autónomos que permitem a condução autónoma de veículos. Neste contexto, surgiu o conceito de Mobilidade Aérea Urbana (MAU), um termo utilizado para serviços de mobilidade aérea de curta distância, a pedido, automatizados, de passageiros ou de transporte de carga. Este estudo apresenta a fase de introdução do planeamento estratégico para a era da mobilidade aérea urbana centrada na aceitação e intenção de utilizar este novo meio de transporte por parte dos cidadãos. Um inquérito foi concebido para captar a percepção dos cidadãos e potenciais utilizadores sobre aspectos como segurança, bem-estar da sociedade (incluindo qualidade de vida, impactos sociais), hábitos de condução e de mobilidade, eventuais benefícios e qual o seu impacto na aceitação e na intenção de utilizar estes sistemas. A aceitação dos cidadãos e potenciais utilizadores (considerados como dois grupos diferentes) é também analisada em termos das suas potenciais utilizações (por exemplo, emergências de saúde, lazer). O inquérito foi distribuito em Portugal e foram recolhidas 391 respostas. Os dados recolhidos foram analisados através da análise de correlação, ANOVA e análises não paramétricas. Esta dissertação introduz um quadro de análise para a introdução de veículos aéreos. Este estudo revela quais são os principais factores que têm impacto nos cidadãos e que devem ser considerados pelos intervenientes.

Transport is an essential sector in modern societies. It connects economic sectors and industries. Next to its contribution to economic development and social interconnection, it also causes adverse impacts on the environment and results in health hazards. Transport is a major source of ground air pollution, especially in urban areas, and therefore contributing to the health problems, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer, and physical injuries. This thesis presents the results of a health risk assessment that quantifies the mortality and the diseases associated with particulate matter pollution resulting from urban road transport in Hai Phong City, Vietnam. The focus is on the integration of modelling and GIS approaches in the exposure analysis to increase the accuracy of the assessment and to produce timely and consistent assessment results. The modelling was done to estimate traffic conditions and concentrations of particulate matters based on geo-references data. A simplified health risk assessment was also done for Ha Noi based on monitoring data that allows a comparison of the results between the two cases. The results of the case studies show that health risk assessment based on modelling data can provide a much more detail results and allows assessing health impacts of different mobility development options at micro level. The use of modeling and GIS as a common platform for the integration of different assessments (environmental, health, socio-economic, etc.) provides various strengths, especially in capitalising on the available data stored in different units and forms and allows handling large amount of data. The use of models and GIS in a health risk assessment, from a decision making point of view, can reduce the processing/waiting time while providing a view at different scales: from micro scale (sections of a city) to a macro scale. It also helps visualising the links between air quality and health outcomes which is useful discussing different development options. However, a number of improvements can be made to further advance the integration. An improved integration programme of the data will facilitate the application of integrated models in policy-making. Data on mobility survey, environmental monitoring and measuring must be standardised and legalised. Various traffic models, together with emission and dispersion models, should be tested and more attention should be given to their uncertainty and sensitivity

As a novel shared mobility concept aiming to counteract the increasing population and congestion in urban areas, Urban Air Mobility (UAM) plans on utilizing uncongested airspace to transport travelers by means of flying air taxis. Its introduction brings many novel aspects with it, which could cause welcoming as well as aversive attitudes among potential users. Accordingly, the purpose of this thesis is to identify attributes affecting the adoption of travelers. Thereby, the influence of several transport-related, attitudinal and socio-economic factors is examined through the conduct of qualitative and quantitative research. Separate key driver analyses for manually piloted (PFT) and autonomously flying air taxis (AFT) allow understanding the impact of the variables on the respective concepts. The results indicate that the travel time of both concepts positively affects travelers, whereas the predicted travel cost poses an obstacle for a potential adoption. Waiting time stands out as having opposite effects on the concepts. Among attitudinal variables, both safety and cleanliness influence the likelihood of usage. Furthermore, it was found that respondents with a higher level of education and technological affinity are more likely to adopt UAM as a substitutive way of transport, while male individuals show significantly higher interest in adopting AFTs than females. Based on the results, several managerial implications could be deduced, aiming to support companies entering the german market.
Sendo um novo conceito de mobilidade partilhada que visa contrariar o aumento da população e o congestionamento nas zonas urbanas, a Urban Air Mobility (UAM) planeia utilizar o espaço aéreo não congestionado para transportar viajantes através de táxis voadores. A sua introdução envolve vários aspetos inovadores, que podem causar atitudes acolhedoras, bem como aversivas, entre os potenciais utilizadores. Consequentemente, o objetivo desta tese visa identificar os atributos que afetam a adoção dos viajantes. Deste modo, a influência de vários fatores relacionados com o transporte, comportamentais, e socioeconómicos, será examinada através da realização de investigação qualitativa e quantitativa. Análises distintas dos principais determinantes para táxis aéreos pilotados manualmente (PFT), e de voo autónomo (AFT), permitem compreender o impacto das variáveis sobre os respetivos conceitos. Os resultados indicam que o tempo de viagem de ambos os conceitos afetam positivamente os viajantes, enquanto que o custo de viagem previsto constitui um obstáculo para uma potencial adoção. O tempo de espera destaca-se como tendo efeitos opostos sobre os conceitos. Entre as variáveis comportamentais, tanto a segurança como a limpeza influenciaram a probabilidade de utilização. Além disso, verificou-se que os inquiridos com um nível de educação e afinidade tecnológica mais elevado têm maior probabilidade de adotar a UAM como meio de transporte substituto, enquanto que os indivíduos masculinos demonstram um interesse significativamente maior na adoção de AFTs do que os indivíduos femininos. Com base nos resultados, várias implicações administrativas poderiam ser deduzidas, com o objetivo de apoiar empresas a entrar no mercado alemão.

O crescimento da população mundial é uma questão preocupante. As suas consequências podem ser dramáticas se as devidas medidas não forem tomadas. Esta preocupação levou à criação de "smart cities", que visam promover a melhoria da qualidade de vida dos cidadãos por meio da junção das novas tecnologias com a preservação do meio ambiente. Mas, para que essas cidades sejam realmente “smart”, é necessário avaliá-las – ou seja, é necessário compreender quais as áreas em que se deve intervir para tornar as cidades economicamente estáveis e ambientalmente sustentáveis. Nesse sentido, este estudo propõe o uso de mapas cognitivos fuzzy (FCMs) para analisar a dinâmica por detrás dos determinantes de uma smart city. Baseado em sessões intensivas de trabalho em grupo com um painel de especialistas em diferentes dimensões de uma smart city, o resultado é uma abordagem orientada para o processo, bem informada e que contém as características/componentes-chave que devem ser avaliadas neste tipo de cidade, nomeadamente: pessoas; planeamento e ambiente; tecnologia; infraestruturas e materiais; serviços; e transportes e mobilidade. A identificação destas componentes permitiu, assim, uma melhor compreensão das relações de causa-efeito existentes entre si e, consequentemente, estabelecer as bases para um melhor planeamento urbano por parte dos administradores municipais. Algumas das implicações práticas do estudo, assim como as vantagens e as limitações da abordagem proposta, são também apresentadas.
The world’s rapidly growing population is an issue to be taken seriously. Its consequences could be dramatic if the required steps are not taken. Concerns about this problem have led to the creation of “smart” cities, which promote improvements in citizens’ quality of life through a combination of new technologies and environmentally sustainable practices. For these cities to be truly “smart”, they need to be evaluated in order to understand the areas in which interventions are necessary to make these cities economically stable and environmentally sustainable. Thus, this study proposed the use of fuzzy cognitive maps to analyze the dynamics behind smart cities’ components. Grounded in intensive group meetings with a panel of experts in different dimensions of these cities, the method applied produced a well-informed, process-oriented framework that contains the characteristics and/or components that should be assessed in this type of city. This result facilitates an improved understanding of smart cities’ cause-and-effect relationships and better strategic planning by urban planners and city administrators. The implications, advantages, and limitations of the proposed framework are also presented.