Transport systems and Sustainable Mobility
Fabio Borghetti
Hi! I’m Fabio Borghetti. I’ve been working with the Politecnico di Milano for over ten years, more if I include the years studying for the Laurea (equivalent to Bachelor of Science) in Civil Engineering.
My training also included a research PhD in Infrastructure and Transport at the Sapienza University of Rome.
Now I’m a Temporary Research Fellow at the Mobility and Transport Laboratory in the Department of Design. In the laboratory we collaborate with public and private and national and international partners and provide a balance between basic research, applied research and consultancy work.
Beyond university teaching and organising training courses, I can sum up my work in three main areas:
- The first is Transport Systems Planning and Sustainable Mobility where we study and analyse the interaction between the territory, environment and mobility systems for people or goods. Basically, we assess when and what type of transport system to design and construct (e.g. tram, train, bus, trolleybus, underground etc.) and of course assess the costs. Today more than ever, people are talking about Sustainable Mobility and the need to adopt innovative integrated mobility models that are efficient, socially responsible and most of all sensitive to environmental impacts. One such project is Green Move (financed by the Lombardy Region and involving eight research centres in the Politecnico di Milano) which has developed innovative electric car sharing scenarios using privately-owned vehicles.
- The second is Safety and Civil Protection where we evaluate the safety of transport systems (for example, road, rail, air and sea). In particular, we analyse the interaction between the various components, i.e. the vehicle, user, infrastructure and surrounding environment. Among the projects is an agreement with the Department of National Civil Protection where we develop methods, models and procedures to mitigate transport risk. One example is mergency management projects for road and rail in the wake of significant events, safety of road and rail tunnels and safety of transport of hazardous materials by road and rail.
- The third and final area is Intelligent Transport Systems where we develop and evaluate telematic systems (telecommunications, electronics, IT) for user information and the management of people and goods traffic. One interesting project is C-ROADS which is co-financed by the European Community and aims to study the positive impacts of information exchange in real time between infrastructure and vehicles and to facilitate the development of autonomous vehicles.
I’ve brought an object with me that is small, light and easy to carry. It’s a transport map for the City of Milan. Behind this map lies a synergy of various skills including engineering, architecture, design and economics, etc.). In short, the map represents a complex integrated transport system, whose aim is not just to create infrastructure and vehicles but also to design a transport service. In this regard the map is a tool to promote, develop and communicate the service to the potential user and make it attractive and competitive.