Characterization of Methodologies for the Integrated Assessment of Urban Transportation Sustainability

Objective: To characterize methodologies for the integrated assessment of urban transportation sustainability and to identify research opportunities in developing countries. Materials and methods: A three-stage structured literature review is presented, and a taxonomy is proposed to characterize conceptual frameworks, analytical models, and indices and indicators. An analysis of indicators based on the eleven categories proposed is also presented. Results and discussion: The increase of scientific and institutional literature studying methodologies for sustainability assessment in the last two decades is evidenced. However, the methods still lack the integral inclusion of the economic, environmental, and social dimensions, particularly in the sustainability assessments of urban transportation. Most works are focused on introducting new indices and indicators and applying methodologies in European and North American countries. Conclusions: The characterization identifies the methodologies, institutions, and countries that have implemented methodologies for the integrated assessment of urban transportation sustainability. Likewise, the most frequent sustainability dimensions are identified, and research opportunities in developing countries are outlined.