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Technology, Behavior, and Governance: Far Away, Yet So Close! A Comprehensive Review of the Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Literature

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  • Ioannis Kanakis

    (School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece)

  • Stathis Arapostathis

    (School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece
    Department of History and Philosophy of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, Illisia, 15771 Athens, Greece)

  • Stelios Rozakis

    (School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Crete, 73100 Chania, Greece)

Abstract

Within the multidisciplinary field of Sustainable Mobility and Transport(ation) (SMT), there are few review studies that analyze the vast and complex literature in a comprehensive manner, often paying limited attention to the key structural and interpretive elements and their interrelationships. Aiming to fill this research gap, the present study offers a thorough review of the literature from the past thirty years (1992–2020), analyzing and organizing it to ultimately provide a unified synthesis. Bibliometric network visualization of the SMT literature (2084 peer-reviewed journal articles) and content analysis of its most influential subset (220 articles) are combined using a mixed-methods approach. Based on this synthesis, three main bibliographic clusters are identified: “technology”, “behavior change”, and “policy–governance”, each addressing twenty-one bibliographic themes. These structural elements (clusters and themes) are then interpreted through three main narratives and twelve sub-narratives, revealing their dynamic interactions. The entire set of clusters, themes, narratives, and sub-narratives, along with their interconnections, constitutes a conceptual framework of the SMT literature. This study highlights the importance of fostering interdisciplinarity through deeper collaboration between researchers from applied sciences, social sciences, and the humanities, and identifies key thematic research areas and topics for future exploration.

Suggested Citation

  • Ioannis Kanakis & Stathis Arapostathis & Stelios Rozakis, 2025. "Technology, Behavior, and Governance: Far Away, Yet So Close! A Comprehensive Review of the Sustainable Mobility and Transportation Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-44, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:9:p:4228-:d:1650796
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