Transferring sustainable urban mobility policies: An institutional perspective

Abstract

Abstract This study develops an institutional framework for the transfer of the sustainable urban mobility policies from developed to developing institutional settings. Drawing on new institutional economics approach, the study investigates the institutional structure of the urban mobility field with a view to propose a policy transfer framework. The framework is then used in transferring sustainable urban mobility policies from London to Istanbul. On its way to establish a more sustainable urban mobility system, the city of Istanbul, which is the economic capital of Turkey, grapples with many urban mobility problems such as rapid motorization, chronic traffic congestion, air and noise pollution and a fragmented governance structure. London's recent Mayor's Transport Strategy published in March, 2018 which sets out a comprehensive set of policies aiming towards a more sustainable urban mobility is used as a benchmark document for transferring policies to Istanbul. The policy transfer study, commissioned by the local transport authority of Istanbul, is undertaken by a team of experts, consultants and academics which include the author of this study as well. The transfer process is carried out by translating policies into the institutional structure of the policy borrowing city, namely Istanbul. The fragmentation in the policy and governance levels in Istanbul, acting as a major barrier for direct transfer, is addressed by the proposed institutional policy transfer framework. Overall, the study aims to open up new avenues for an institutionally-informed transport policy research. More specifically, the study provides novel conceptual tools for the analysis of the policy transfer studies involving disparate institutional settings.