Navigating Urban Mobility: A Topic Modeling Analysis of Shared Micromobility Trends

Abstract

As cities address the challenges of sustainability, congestion, and last-mile accessibility, shared micromobility systems have emerged as a key solution for transforming urban mobility. While the scholarly literature on this topic has grown rapidly, a systematic synthesis of its thematic composition and evolution is limited. This study addresses that gap by applying Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling to 2,021 Scopus-indexed journal articles published from 2010 to 2023. The study offers a threefold contribution: (1) it provides a bibliometric overview of publication trends, geographic and institutional patterns, and disciplinary intersections, (2) it identifies 12 dominant thematic clusters (such as technology acceptance, travel patterns, system optimization, and environmental impact) and analyzes their volume and momentum, and (3) it maps the evolution of these topics over time, revealing shifting research priorities and emerging areas of inquiry. Findings show that user-centered themes such as technology acceptance and travel behavior have gained strong momentum, while earlier topics such as system optimization and decision-making have plateaued, signaling a shift in the field's thematic focus. The integration of shared micromobility into multimodal transport systems, environmental policy, and digital service design emerge as key urban mobility objectives. The study not only advances theoretical understanding of the field's structure but also provides actionable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and service providers, offering guidance for the inclusive, efficient, and sustainable integration of shared micromobility systems into future urban transport strategies.