Urban mobility is undergoing significant transformations in the rapidly expanding cities of the Global South, and is increasingly shaped by a complex interplay of its existing urban form, socio-economic factors, efficiency of its transport infrastructure, peoples’ attitude towards emerging new mobility modes, and urban governance towards developing and maintaining a well-functioning transport infrastructure. The interactions between these factors and their influence in shaping urban mobility eco-system has been extensively studied and well documented. However, in recent times, the introduction of entirely new system of shared mobility modes and re-emergence of active modes such walking and cycling (including e-scooters) and the influence urban mobility governance in terms of regulation and promotion of green travel modes is having a significant impact on the mobility attitudes of people. The impact on mobility attitudes tends to vary widely among different cities in Asia depending on the speed of change in socio-demographic patterns and the efficiency of urban governance, besides other usual factors mentioned above. To fully understand the changes in mobility attitudes, a much wider approach is required that needs to take into account all of the above factors and a detailed assessment of how individually and/or collectively, they are impacting the mobility attitudes in different cities. This dissertation attempts to fill this critical gap by systematically dissecting urban mobility by including a wide range of influencing parameters in two major cities in Asia namely, Dubai and Lahore. Of this five interrelated perspectives were considered crucial and studied in detail: urban characteristics, socio-economic factors, attitudes of transport users towards new emerging transport modes, parameters that influence modal choices, and urban mobility governance. The thesis adopted a three-pronged approach to study the above factors. By integrating (i) quantitative modeling which is traditionally carried out to assess mobility attitudes or modal choices, (ii) neighborhood-level analysis which captures range of urban forms, and (iii) qualitative insights from key decision-makers which forms an integral part of shaping urban mobility. The work carried out advances our understanding of how these multifaceted elements converge to shape travel behavior in emerging urban contexts. A key strength of this research lies in the primary data collected from two distinct urban contexts—Dubai and Lahore—capturing a total of 1,653 and 1,603 respondents, respectively. The survey was conducted across four carefully selected and representative neighborhoods in each city, ensuring coverage of diverse urban forms including high-density mixed-use areas, planned residential districts, and organically developed settlements. This neighborhood-level sampling strategy enhances the contextual richness and generalizability of the findings. In addition, a detailed street-level spatial analysis was undertaken to quantify urban morphological characteristics such as land-use diversity, intersection density, public transport accessibility, and commute travel times. Firstly, quantitative analyses was carried out using binary logistic regression models on data collected from 1,653 respondents in Dubai and 1,603 in Lahore to establish the impact of efficient transport infrastructure, service levels, service quality and efficiency in these cities. In Dubai, findings revealed that positive perceptions of public transport—particularly in neighborhoods such as Al-Barsha and Al Nahda—significantly enhance transit usage when travel times remain within defined thresholds. Conversely, ready access to a driver's license and a strong preference for comfort underpin the continued reliance on private vehicles. In Lahore, the study identified that a cost-sensitive travel orientation and favorable attitudes toward ridesharing in high-density areas like Johar Town and Green Town significantly promote public transport adoption yet, suboptimal urban connectivity limits the uptake of active modes such as walking and cycling. Secondly, emphasizing the impact of socio-demographic characteristics and urban design metrics—such as link-node ratios, intersection density, and commute durations—on mode choice behavior. These factors, coupled with persistent perceptions of private vehicle convenience, underscore the need for localized urban planning strategies that address both physical infrastructure and the underlying behavioral biases. Third, and finally, building on these empirical insights, the study focused further on the importance and merits of urban governance between cities, contrasting Dubai’s integrated, long-term planning framework with Lahore’s fragmented governance and inconsistent approach in the development and implementation of transport master plans and infrastructure due to unsupportive political environment and unsuitable institutional set-up. The discussions with officials in both cities, Dubai and Lahore highlighted how effective planning, implementation and regulation could bring positive impacts on mobility attitudes towards sustainable travel mode choices. Collectively, from the above analysis, the research has also clearly established that having an appropriately designed governance framework, well defined maturity model with clearly assigned institutional responsibilities, having adaptable regulations, stable funding strategy, implementing digital transformation through innovative public–private partnerships, being flexible to recalibrate governance structures can positively bring about a future towards more people centric mobility solutions. In conclusion, this dissertation contributes significantly to the emerging field of urban mobility governance by offering specific, evidence-based insights and actionable policy recommendations. As cities grapple with rapid urbanization, environmental challenges, and transportation inequities, this research underscores the vital importance of implementing and integrating infrastructural enhancements and influencing behavioral interventions by effective governance reforms to cultivate sustainable, equitable, and resilient urban mobility systems.
Abdul Ghaffar Chaudhry (Thu,) studied this question.