Listen to the residents! How to develop sustainable and successful urban mobility concepts

Abstract Background Urbanization is progressing rapidly, with over 65% of the world’s population projected to live in urban areas by 2050. This population shift is expected to lead to several environmental and social challenges. As a result, many urban development projects are being implemented with accompanying mobility concepts. However, there is limited knowledge regarding mobility services that meet the residents’ needs. This understanding is essential for advancing new mobility concepts in urban areas that consider the respective socioecological context. Therefore, this paper is dedicated to exploring and exemplifying the mobility behaviors and personas prevalent in nascent urban areas. Results For this purpose, a quantitative survey was carried out ( n = 376) to measure mobility behavior and 11 specific mobility needs in three nascent urban quarters in Germany and Austria. The highest-rated mobility needs across quarters were reliability, convenience, and safety. In contrast, the least important mobility needs were orientation, social recognition, and entertainment. A cluster analysis of mobility needs and behaviors (using Ward’s method and k-means) suggests the prevalence of five mobility personas. While the personas differed by demographics and mobility behavior, they were similarly distributed across quarters. Conclusions In summary, this article highlights which mobility needs should be addressed and proposes strategies for targeting individual mobility personas. Overall, mobility concepts should prioritize reliable, shared transportation, as many individuals continue to rely on car ownership due to a lack of reliable alternatives. Therefore, the findings help facilitate the transition to more sustainable and socially acceptable forms of mobility in urban areas.