“Technological Innovation in Urban Mobility: Public Policy, Regulation and Market Structure”

Call for Papers – Special Issue: “Technological Innovation in Urban Mobility: Public Policy, Regulation and Market Structure”

Journal: Case Studies on Transport Policy
Publisher: Elsevier
Submission deadline: 29 October 2026

Overview

This special issue—published by Elsevier—explores the legal, economic, and policy frameworks necessary to govern the rapid transformation of urban mobility. Driven by digitalization and automation, innovations such as Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), shared mobility, autonomous vehicles, and robotaxis are disrupting traditional transport models. The issue invites research that investigates how public policies and regulatory tools can be optimized to balance technological efficiency with societal acceptability, ensuring that innovation strengthens public transport and urban livability rather than weakening it.

Key Research Themes

• Regulatory & Policy Frameworks: Adaptive, outcome-based regulation for smart mobility; governing shared mobility providers; and the balance between enabling innovation and maintaining public oversight.

• Economic & Market Structure: The role of new market players (e.g., big tech, startups) in urban transport; business models for MaaS; and the impact of autonomous technology on transport externalities.

• Public-Private Interaction: Strategies for government steering versus laissez-faire approaches; governance of curb space; and public-private partnerships (PPP) in transport provision.

• Societal Acceptability: Addressing user privacy in data-sharing schemes; ensuring equitable access to new modes; and stakeholder involvement in planning and regulatory design.

• Case-Based Analysis: Empirical studies evaluating the outcomes of pilot projects, regional policy interventions, and specific mobility-related legal disputes.

Submission Details

• Submission deadline: 29 October 2026.

• Submission portal: https://www.editorialmanager.com/cstp/default2.aspx

• Special Instructions: You must select the article type “VSI: Innovation in Mobility and Public Policy” during submission. Failure to select this exact type will result in your paper being processed as a regular manuscript.

• Submission Standards: The journal prioritizes original research, policy-focused analyses, and empirical case studies. All submissions must adhere to the Case Studies on Transport Policy Author Guidelines.

Guest Editor Team

• Federico Boffa, Free University of Bolzano (Federico.boffa@unibz.it)

• Giuseppe Bellantuono, University of Trento (giuseppe.bellantuono@unitn.it)

• Angela Stefania Bergantino, University of Bari Aldo Moro (angelastefania.bergantino@uniba.it)

• Alberto Iozzi, Tor Vergata University of Rome (Alberto.iozzi@uniroma2.it)

Why This Issue Matters

The transition toward "smart urban mobility" is often ahead of the legislative frameworks designed to manage it. This special issue provides a dedicated forum to analyze the interaction between rapid technological adoption and the legal/policy mechanisms that define the public interest. It is essential for researchers and policy makers looking to transition from reactive regulation to a proactive, leadership-based model of transport governance that effectively integrates private innovation with public transit goals.

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