A Participatory Best Practice Supported by Technology for the Governance of University Sustainable Mobility

Abstract This paper presents a best practice developed within the PRINCE project “Rewards and Incentives for Modal Shift” (“PRemialità e INCEntivi per il cambiamento modale”), funded by the Ministry for the Environment, Land and Sea Protection of Italy (2018–2024), in which the University of Genoa is a partner. The initiative is proposed as a replicable model for participatory governance of sustainable mobility in academic contexts. Specifically, it focuses on the role that technology and incentive mechanisms played in achieving the project’s goal: changing university students’ mobility habits toward more sustainable forms of transport. Given the significant impact of university mobility on overall urban mobility, the UniGe community was chosen as a test group for experimenting with new technologies and scalable best practices at the urban level. The PRINCE project stands out for its integration of technological innovation (via a dedicated mobile App), participatory processes, and multi-stakeholder collaboration (Quintuple Helix), demonstrating how these elements can jointly contribute to effective urban policy. The research, which recently concluded, stands out as a good participatory practice—involving various local stakeholders in Genoa—and is supported by innovative technological tools that contribute to the governance of sustainable university mobility.