Vision Zero and the SDGs: Engineering Safer and More Sustainable Transportation Systems

Submit your abstract here by 1 March 2026!

Introduction  

The aim of this special issue is to bring together cutting-edge research and practice that aligns the Vision Zero philosophy, which emphasizes eliminating traffic-related deaths and serious injuries, with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to create safer and more sustainable transportation systems. By integrating engineering and planning solutions, evidence-based policy frameworks, and data-driven innovative technologies, the issue seeks to holistic and highlight multidisciplinary approaches for reducing traffic fatalities and severe injuries while addressing broader sustainability challenges. In particular, contributions employing advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and multi-criteria decision-making methods to analyse driver and pedestrian behaviour, optimize traffic safety measures, and model risk scenarios are encouraged. Studies presenting real-world applications, comparative analyses, or case studies demonstrating the effectiveness of Vision Zero principles will be particularly valuable. Contributions will be drawn from diverse geographical contexts, ensuring that best practices and lessons learned can be applied globally. The issue will encourage collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to foster systemic changes in transport safety, sustainability, highlighting practical, data-driven strategies and policy interventions that directly contribute to Vision Zero and SDG targets.

Road traffic crashes remain a leading cause of death and injury worldwide, posing a critical barrier to achieving sustainable and inclusive mobility. At the same time, transportation systems are under increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint and contribute to climate action. Addressing safety and sustainability together requires integrated approaches that combine engineering innovation, data-driven insights, and equitable policy frameworks. The Vision Zero framework, with its bold target of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries, offers a transformative foundation for reimagining safer mobility. When coupled with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it provides a global roadmap for achieving safer, more resilient, and environmentally responsible transport systems. Together, they emphasize that improving transport safety is inherently linked to advancing public health, climate resilience, and social equity. This special issue invites high-quality contributions that explore how Vision Zero principles can be operationalized in the design, engineering, and governance of transport systems while supporting the broader SDG agenda. We welcome interdisciplinary research that integrates technological innovation, policy reform, data analytics, and human centered design to shape safer and more sustainable urban and interurban mobility. Submissions that demonstrate practical applications, cross-disciplinary collaborations, or comparative analyses across regions are particularly encouraged, as they provide valuable insights for translating Vision Zero into practice.

List of topic areas

• Vision Zero principles in transportation planning and engineering
• Integration of traffic safety and sustainability frameworks
• Data-driven approaches (AI, machine learning, simulation) for crash reduction
• Infrastructure design for vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, micro mobility)
• Policies and governance strategies aligning Vision Zero with SDGs
• Climate-friendly and low-carbon transport innovations
• Resilient transport infrastructure for safer and sustainable cities
• Equity and inclusivity in safe and sustainable mobility
• Case studies and best practices from global Vision Zero initiatives
• Monitoring and evaluation tools for safety and sustainability outcomes
• Emerging mobility technologies and their safety implications,
• Public engagement and education for safe and sustainable transport
• Integration of smart city technologies for mobility safety
• Economic evaluation of safety and sustainability interventions
• Urban design and land use planning for Vision Zero
• Resilience and adaptation to extreme events

By drawing together expertise from academia and industry, this Special Issue seeks to advance knowledge, stimulate innovation, and foster dialogue on the transformative role of AI in structural engineering.

Submission Information

Submit your abstract here

Author guidelines must be strictly followed

If your abstract is successful, you will be invited to submit your full paper here: https://ice-review.rivervalley.io/journal/jtran. Once you have registered, navigate to the journal that you wish to submit to. Choose article type "Special Issue" and then the specific name from the drop-down menu on screen.