© 2020, Author(s). In a rapidly changing world, transportation is a big determinant of quality of life, financial growth and progress. New challenges (such as the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic) and opportunities (such as the three revolutions of shared, electric and automated mobility) are expected to drastically change the future mobility landscape. Researchers, policy makers and practitioners are working hard to prepare for and shape the future of mobility that will maximize benefits. Adopting a human perspective as a guiding principle in this endeavour is expected to help prioritize the “right” needs as requirements. In this special issue, eight research papers outline ways in which transportation research can contribute to a better tomorrow. In this editorial, we position the research within the state-of-the-art, identify the needs for future research, and then outline how the included contributions fit in this puzzle. Naturally, the problem of sustainable future transportation systems is way too complicated to be covered with a single special issue. We thus conclude this editorial with a discussion about open questions and future research topics.