Defining mobility patterns in peri-urban areas: A contribution for spatial and transport planning policy

Mobility plays an important role in the population's quality of life and is also an essential tool for spatial planning and development, thus this research intends to contribute to better informed and targeted spatial and mobility management policies in metropolitan areas, with a special focus on peri-urban areas. To achieve this aim, a methodological approach was developed to define different types of peri-urban areas according to their mobility and accessibility characteristics. A set of indicators was proposed as the basis of a cluster analysis of parishes in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA). A new map of the LMA, which reflects a new understanding of the metropolitan reality, was drawn up. The knowledge provided in this study, which consists of the clear differentiation of peri-urban areas located in the metropolitan context in terms of mobility, is an important contribution for policies development and for the management mechanisms of metropolitan mobility.