SMART MOBILITY TECHNOLOGIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON URBAN SUSTAINABILITY: INSIGHTS FROM EUROPEAN AND WESTERN BALKAN CITIES.

Currently, urban transport systems across Europe and the Western Balkans are undergoing significant digital transition. This is mostly due to the increasing need to address traffic, rising energy consumption and transport-related emissions. As a result, cities are increasingly using smart mobility technology as useful tools to increase the sustainability and efficiency of their transport systems. Artificial intelligence-based traffic prediction, IoT sensor systems for real-time monitoring, adaptive traffic signal control, automated vehicle tracking, and integrated e-mobility platforms are examples of solutions that are no longer in the experimental phase but are being put into practice with measurable results. This paper provides a technical comparison of smart mobility applications in urban contexts of the Western Balkans such as Tirana, Pristina and Podgorica, as well as in several European cities such as Vienna, Ljubljana and Helsinki. Recent empirical research, accessible mobility statistics and important performance metrics related to traffic flow optimization, modal shifts towards public and active transport, pollution reduction (CO2 and particulate matter) and overall network reliability are all included in the analysis. AI-driven traffic management systems can reduce delays at signalized crossings by approximately 15-30%, according to findings from European case studies, while IoT-based vehicle monitoring and tracking helps improve public transport punctuality and energy efficiency. Smart mobility solutions appear to be a particularly cost-effective path towards more sustainable mobility systems in Western Balkan cities, where informal traffic behavior, rapid urban growth, and insufficient public transport capacity continue to be major obstacles. However, the study also highlights that technology implementation is insufficient on its own. Parallel investments in digital infrastructure, the creation of transparent data governance frameworks, and ongoing institutional coordination between the transport, urban planning, and environment sectors are all necessary for long-term success. The potential advantages of smart mobility technology risk being diffused or underutilized in the absence of these enabling conditions.