Conceptualizing Social Sustainability in Urban Mobility: A Framework for Future Questionnaire Development

The social aspect of sustainability in mobility is a relatively unexplored component within the overarching framework of sustainability, often overshadowed by the economic and environmental aspects. This article addresses this gap by presenting a literature review. The review identifies key psychological dimensions shaping social sustainability in urban mobility and highlights the lack of subjective assessments in existing research. The findings of this review indicate that social sustainability in mobility is a multidimensional construct encompassing the factors of perceived equity, safety, security, inclusion and quality of life and well-being. In terms of theoretical contributions, the review proposes a model for the investigation of socially sustainable mobility, with a focus on a person-centred framework. Furthermore, the psychological theorisation proposed constituted the basis for the development of a novel measurement tool for assessing social sustainability in transportation, with a focus on individual perceptions. Future research should further refine and expand this framework across diverse urban contexts, exploring its implications for broader sustainability outcomes.