Challenges to urban transport sustainability and smart transport in a tourist city: the Gold Coast, Australia.

Abstract

This paper aims to identify challenges to achieving sustainable and smart transport in a city whose form has been produced mainly by tourism urbanisation: the Gold Coast, Australia. The first part of the paper investigates urban transport sustainability, reviewing how urban density, travel behaviour and lifestyles, and the availability of various transportation services and modes influence urban transport sustainability. This is followed by an empirical analysis of transport trends, modal splits, and basic community profiles in the Gold Coast, to identify challenges to sustainable transport development therein. The paper also introduces and acknowledges potential positive outcomes of the current public transport policies and projects, and then explores the concept of smart transport focussing on automated people movers. The paper concludes by stating more actions for a sustainable transport system in the Gold Coast needs to be done including adaptation of smart transport options.