Clean, smart, safe

City on the move

Smart mobility hubs, car-free neighbourhoods, zero-emission zones and one day maybe even self-driving cars. The city is full of opportunities to improve accessibility, liveability and safety. 

The matter is urgent, as cities in Europe are becoming increasingly crowded with more residents, more visitors and more logistics. We are stuck in traffic jams, we emit a lot of CO2, we make accidents and parking is difficult. In our cities there is an ungoing battle for scarce space: do we prioritise green streets or parking spaces in front of our homes? 

Delft urban mobility scientists are developing much-needed knowledge and solutions to make our busy cities smart, clean and safe for everyone. We are building bikes that won't topple over and autonomous boats to deliver packages over water. We develop apps to make shared transport user-friendly. We are tinkering with algorithms for self-driving, electric vehicles. And we implement car-free neighbourhoods and green corridors for pedestrians. With our tools, data visualizations, digital twins and serious games, we help municipalities in the Netherlands and Europe with their mobility issues. 

We accelerate the mobility transition and make cities smart, clean and safe for everyone. 

Millions of people are on the move in a city at the same time: an interesting puzzle.’

Researcher Maaike Snelder
Read the story ‘The accessible city’

Inclusiveness and accessibility for all people, not just a certain social class.

Researcher Achilleas Psyllidis
Read the story ‘The accessible city’

Demand-driven public transportation will be the breakthrough of the near future.

Researcher Niels van Oort
Read the story ‘The accessible city’

The city is full of opportunities for smart mobility. Our mission is an accessible, green city for all.

Student Story

Causing near collisions with cyclists to improve traffic models

It’s surprising, but in the Netherlands – a nation of cyclists – there’s very little data on how cyclists respond to each other in traffic. Yet this data is essential for creating more realistic traffic models, which in turn are key to designing better cycling infrastructure across the Netherlands. Anna Marbus, a master’s student in robotics, wants to change that by causing near collisions with cyclists.

Read the story of Anna

| In our labs

SenseBike

This is TU Delft's SenseBike - a bicycle equipped with the same advanced sensors used in autonomous vehicles. While cycling through the city, the SenseBike creates a detailed map of the urban environment in real-time and collects valuable close-up data on cyclists' behaviour. This helps improve algorithms of automated cars and design safer intersections for cyclists. 

| Watchtime: 28 sec.

Watch more

Remote control of automated cars

What if an automated car has trouble? Georgios Papaioannou and his team work on improving a remote operators’ driving performance, using visual and haptic feedback.  

Platooning by little robots

Automated vehicles can drive in groups close to each other in a coordinated manner. At TU Delft’s robotics lab Laura Ferranti and Lorenzo Lyons use little car-like robots to test platooning strategies using little car-like robots. 

Experiencing autonomous cars 

How do passengers experience a self driving vehicle? Our Mobility Innovation Centre is researching just that, in a lab on wheels. This car is operated by a human driver, but the passenger doesn’t see that. Sensors, eye trackers and microphones measure all responses to define stressful situations.  

Stories of Science

Story

Rethinking transport in cities

Half-loaded delivery vans with logos in colours ranging from purple to red cruise along the same narrow cobbled street. There is plenty of space on the adjacent canal, which was once used to transport goods. ‘We can do much better than this,’ associate professor Bilge Atasoy keeps thinking as she walks through the city.
News

Seamless transfers from public transport to shared mobility in Rotterdam

Sharif Azadeh: “This allows us to sustain the fleet of shared scooters or bikes at a certain location.”
Story

How to design the train stations of tomorrow

What does your local station mean to you? For some, it represents opportunity: the chance to go anywhere. Others might actively dislike the noise, the crowds, the aesthetic... But they definitely affect you, according to Dr. Manuela Triggianese.
[Translate to English:]
Student Story

From Parking lot to Playground: Joining forces for safe and liveable school environments

Eltjo van Veen, a student of Transport, Infrastructure, and Logistics (TIL), explored how different stakeholders -from parents and residents to municipal authorities -can be engaged in redesigning school environments according to the principles of the Fair Street.
Story

What if we all share our rides?

With just a few clicks associate professor Oded Cats empties the streets of Amsterdam of all cars. In a simulation model, that is. ‘Now what if we ban Uber? Or allow only trams or bike sharing services?’ From his office in the CEG faculty building Cats is experimenting with a complex computer model creating a wealth of different virtual transport scenarios. He specifically looks into new modes of shared mobility, as they have brought a whole new dynamic to our cities.
[Translate to English:]
Story

Giving freight a voice

Smart and sustainable, that is where freight transport should be headed, according to Mahnam Saeednia: "I see goods as individuals who have to collaborate to reach their goals."
[Translate to English:]
Story

Hassle as a limiting factor for using energy when the sun shines

Due to changing regulations and the introduction of feed-in tariffs, households with solar panels are increasingly required to use the energy they generate directly.
[Translate to English:]
Story

Putting the urban mobility jigsaw together: piece by piece

Having your own car, bike or moped may be convenient but it’s also clogging up our city centres. Shared mobility can make cities easier to navigate and improve air quality. But adopting it efficiently is easier said than done. Maaike Snelder is helping local authorities to piece together the urban mobility jigsaw.
Story

Hit the roads safely with autonomous vehicles

When the time comes for autonomous cars to hit the roads, they’ll have to take other road users into account. For example, they’ll need to stop when a cyclist abruptly turns. Laura Ferranti is studying how this can be best achieved. Even when roads are packed with traffic.

Events

For everybody

13 September: Together towards sustainable mobility

In a world where international travel is becoming increasingly common, how do you travel sustainably? And how can TU Delft encourage sustainable travel? Join the Sustainable Mobility Seminar and share your ideas!
For the TU Delft mobility community

18 September: TU Delft Workshop: Vision for a Desired Mobility System in 2050

Co-creation workshop for and with the TU Delft mobility community.
For policymakers and stakeholders

20 September: Co-Creating a Vision for the Dutch Mobility System in 2050

The Dutch mobility system in 2050.
For researchers and professionals

9 October: Join the Urbanism Next Europe Conference in Amsterdam!

The effects of the emerging technologies of the De effecten van opkomende technologieën on urban landscapes and communities.

Meer weten? Neem contact op!

Wetenschapsvoorlichter
Resilient Cities & Mobility

Karlijn Spoor
06 4161 2272
k.spoor@tudelft.nl

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