New issue of Transitions "Mobility under pressure: what does the future hold for everyday travel?"
The 6th issue of Transitions, the new Annales des Ponts et Chaussées, will be published by Presses des Ponts on 22 October!
"Déplacements sous tension : quels futurs pour les mobilités du quotidien" (Mobility under pressure: what does the future hold for everyday travel?) is edited by Virginie Boutueil (LVMT) and Frédéric Meunier (CERMICS), and illustrated by Claire Martha.
The issues of climate change, social justice and changing lifestyles pose major challenges for scientists and decision-makers in the field of passenger transport. Whilst transport accounts for a significant proportion of emissions and environmental pollution, it also represents a field of technical, social and organisational innovation.
Drawing on the multidisciplinary expertise of the École nationale des ponts et chaussées and contributions from researchers from a variety of backgrounds, this issue of Transitions aims to explore the complexity of these changes through three complementary strands: decision-support tools (models, indicators, assessment methods), the role of digital technology, and transition pathways.
This issue addresses these questions by focusing on individual modes of transport, particularly the car, and their share of everyday travel. The aim is to understand how mobility practices are evolving, how infrastructure and technology are transforming them, and how public policy can support just transitions whilst adapting to local contexts. Some articles also examine alternative forms of soft mobility, such as cycling, and transport in the Global South, where specific challenges arise and where new practices are often being developed.
Original articles, interviews, scientific analyses and forward-looking perspectives will provide a rich and nuanced overview of the issues at stake. Whether addressing the health impacts of unregulated pollutants, the rise of active mobility, the role of artificial intelligence, assessment methods or new transport models, this issue aims to provide clear guidance through a systemic approach to these issues, thereby contributing to a debate that is often fragmented.
Transitions in debate
To mark the publication of this issue, the School is organising a scientific conference at its premises on Friday 4 December 2026, from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, attended by the experts who contributed to this issue. The day’s programme will include round-table discussions, tours and workshops.
"Mobility under pressure": the coordinators of the latest issue of Transitions
Virginie Boutueil is a chief engineer (Ponts, Eaux et Forêts) and holds a PhD in transport economics. As part of the City, Mobility and Transport Laboratory (LVMT), she researches the uptake of sustainable mobility solutions, the digital transformation of mobility and related public policies. As a senior lecturer at the École nationale des ponts et chaussées, she teaches in France and in several African countries, helping to strengthen human capital in support of mobility transitions.
Frédéric Meunier is a researcher at the École nationale des ponts et chaussées, within the CERMICS research centre, specialising in discrete mathematics and operational research. As a professor at the School, he teaches in the Department of Industrial Engineering. He is also an associate professor at the École polytechnique.