Sustainable and Sharing Mobility in Europe and Italy strengthened by the Covid-19 pandemic. State of the field and possible research agenda

During the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, many European countries have opted for restrictive measures and policies, which have consequently reduced economic activities, including road transport. This has led to a further decrease in concentrations of air pollution, especially in metropolises (EEA, 2020). Considering the negative impact of fossil fuels on the environment and on human health, it is necessary a radical change in the transport system, which may possibly satisfy both the need for cleaner air and the growing demand for mobility, especially in large metropolises. This decisive shift consists of a green and sustainable transformation, which is already taking place in several European cities. This change demands a coordinated approach, starting from different urban strategies, such as traffic congestion, public procurement of cleaner vehicles, promoting public, sharing, and sustainable mobility (e.g. cycling, sharing transport, adopting low-emission zones, etc.) (EEA, 2019). Our investigation will primarily focus on the impact of transportation on urban environment, then move to an in-depth literature review on the new forms of mobility, analysing the convergence and divergence in e-mobility in Europe, and the sustainable and sharing mobility in Italy, with a further look at the modifications inducted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the last section of the paper, we propose two research themes based on the current developments and possible future perspectives for urban spaces and mobility.