This Line of Research covers topics of different natures, such as new technologies, going through economic and environmental dimensions, including climate change, and social issues. These different natures involve a spatially equitable transport offer that meets all users universally (regardless of income, social class and physical ability, as is the casesof elderly, pregnant women and wheelchair users), providing services with the same level of safety, comfort, punctuality and other typical characteristics of a transport system of quality. It is characterized, therefore, by providing transport infrastructures and services whose conditions of access encourage choices and the use of sustainable modalities, such as active and public transport, which are safer, inclusive, socially friendly, with low environmental impact and lower economic costs, based on cleaner energy.

In this direction, three research strands can be highlighted. The first one addresses the planning, design and implementation of integrated transport systems, which provide the articulation between the different modalities and respective infrastructures and services for the transportation of passengers and cargo, taking advantage of the potential of each one. This purpose focuses on physical, operational, tariffing and institutional integration and applies not only in urban areas, but also in terms of intercity transport (also known as inland or rural transport), in addition to extending to regional and even national and international scales. The second research strand deals with the planning, regulation and operation of the road infrastructure with the purpose of contemplating not only motorized traffic, especially the automobile and its fluidity, but also the multiple users of this public space, in accordance with the concept of “complete streets”. This concept prioritizes the use of this space, which is scarce, through collective and active modalities, in addition to protecting the most fragile users (such as pedestrians and cyclists), providing safer traffic and compromising the citizens' right to life. The third strand addresses technological advances on two main fronts. The first one is based on fundamental information and communication technologies to (a) improve the planning and management practices carried out by the public administration and by entities responsible for the operation of transport and transit, including tariff and modal integration policies, and (b) make information available for users to plan their trips and choose the most convenient and sustainable modalities.The second front has a strong environmental motivation, considering the transition that involves the decrease in the use of fossil fuels, the progressively increasing and marked use of renewable energies, such as hydrogen and electrification of transport. This requires marked changes in the transport sector regarding the use of new motorization technologies and appropriate infrastructure. Complementarily, these changes also suggest the introduction of new forms of driving, such as autonomous transport.Its application is possible in a wide range of transportation modes, including personal, collective, cargo, land, nautical and air transports. One of the vectors for technological advancement with a focus on sustainability is the need to seek a low carbon development path due to the risks of global warming. In the world, the sector that most contributes to carbon emissions is energy and, within this, the transport and industrial sector are the most relevant ones.