Smart mobility transition: a socio-technical analysis in the city of Curitiba

Curitiba, located in the south of Brazil and recognized as a smart city, stands out for its pioneering project of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. A smart city presupposes the existence of a smart mobility system. In this study, urban mobility was analysed based on the socio-technical transition of innovation and the multi-level perspective. From the history of urban planning in Curitiba we have developed a timeline of the initiatives considered as milestones towards the transition to smart mobility and proposed a reflection about socio-technical innovation approach applied to smart urban mobility. We perceive small incremental and continuous advances that can bring positive results over time. To observe how this transition process is taking place in practice, we presented an illustrative case that points to niche innovations that put pressure on the current socio-technical regime. Emerging niche technologies, along with other social and technological innovations, can lead to transition.