Sustainable Active Travel in Environmentally Challenging Cities: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Strategies

Active travel modes, such as walking and cycling, are essential for fostering sustainable urban transportation. However, their adoption in environmentally challenging areas—characterised by steep slopes, extreme weather, and rugged terrain—presents significant obstacles. This study addresses these challenges by conducting a systematic literature review of studies published between 2000 and 2024 to identify strategies that promote active travel in such contexts. Using a structured five-step methodology, 62 relevant articles were selected and analysed to explore common challenges and propose tailored solutions. The findings highlight critical barriers, including topographical difficulties, harsh climatic conditions, and adverse weather, all of which hinder walking and cycling. To address these barriers, this study identifies a range of solutions, including infrastructure enhancements such as bike lifts, e-bike systems, shaded walkways, and heated pavements, as well as policy measures like financial incentives and disincentive regulations. Importantly, this study makes a deliberate effort to avoid overgeneralised solutions by emphasising the need for interventions that are context-sensitive and tailored to specific environmental challenges, urban scales, and local conditions. By providing options for actionable strategies, this research offers a comprehensive foundation for developing inclusive and sustainable policies that encourage active travel in diverse and environmentally constrained urban settings.