Mapping the Institutional and Socio-Political Barriers to Smart Mobility Adoption: A TISM-MICMAC Approach

Highlights: Despite extensive research on barriers to smart mobility, prior studies have largely treated them in isolation, overlooking their systemic interconnections and root causes. This study employs Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) and Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis, underpinned by Critical Urban Theory, to structurally map and interpret the interrelationships among the barriers. What are the main findings? Legacy paradigms in conventional transport planning, fragmented mandates, and outdated regulations emerge as root causes of resistance to smart mobility. User-related issues such as affordability, spatial coverage, and cultural attachment to cars are dependent barriers, shaped by upstream institutional and governance failures. What is the implication of the main finding? Tackling smart mobility challenges requires structural reforms that dismantle entrenched planning logics and improve cross-institutional coordination. Policymakers and planners, particularly in the Global South, should prioritize high-driving-power barriers to unlock cascading benefits across the mobility system. Smart mobility is widely promoted as a solution to urban congestion, pollution, and inefficiency. Yet, its adoption remains inconsistent, particularly in developing and small cities. While prior research has examined technological enablers, the structural and systemic barriers that constrain adoption are less understood. This study identifies and analyzes the institutional, political, technological, and socio-cultural barriers that collectively inhibit smart mobility transitions. Using Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) and MICMAC analysis, the study hierarchically maps 14 interrelated barriers derived from literature and validated through expert consultation. Findings reveal that legacy paradigms in conventional transport planning, fragmented institutional mandates, and regulatory misalignment are the foundational constraints that reinforce downstream challenges such as affordability, limited service coverage, and user resistance. Anchored in Critical Urban Theory, the study reframes smart mobility adoption as a contested and political process shaped by institutional inertia and unequal access to technology. The paper contributes to the literature by offering a theory-informed diagnostic framework for understanding mobility transitions. It also provides practical entry points for policymakers, planners, and mobility innovators seeking to target root cause interventions rather than symptoms, to enable more equitable, scalable, and resilient smart mobility transitions.