Mobility change in the minds – user-oriented management of transition processes!

Whole generations have been shaped by the idea of car-based mobility since the post-ww II years. These historically grown narratives are starting to falter with the “Generation Z” that is, the so- called “Millenials”, 18 to 25 year old persons. The importance of a private car for the younger generation is declining just as steadily as its emotional attachment to the car. At the same time, it becomes clear that environmentally friendly behavior will not automatically prevail.

CHANGE! has therefore set itself the goal of developing a deeper understanding of possible and effective governance mechanisms for influencing mobility patterns.

Climate and Energy Strategy 2030

The national climate and energy plan is envisaging cutting greenhouse gas emissions in Austria by 2030 by 36%. However, Austria continues to move further away from climate targets every day without significant effective measures. The transport sector is currently one of the main contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 29%. Since 1990, traffic-based emissions have increased by 74%. In order to reduce the foreseeable consequences of climate change to a bearable level, urgent measures are needed to bring about a “turnaround in mobility”.

Yet mobility change is impossible while maintaining current mobility patterns! Moving away from traditional patterns and routines to initiate a behavioral change in everyday mobility is a key requirement for effective countermeasures.

However, it is not yet clear what kind of measures are possible and needed. The goals of CHANGE! are therefore:

  • Push & Pull measures for a comprehensive turnaround in mobility (e.g., financial, structural, and … non-monetary incentives and benefits)
  • User requirements for mobility services and quality in the context of digitization, taking different life and everyday worlds into consideration (e.g. everyday mobility patterns, correlations to space, demographics and milieus, gender and age)
  • Potentials and requirements of different communication and negotiation processes / levels such as public-sector interventions, private-sector measures, participation processes (e.g. raising awareness, integration of users, co-creation) etc. including clarification of the required degrees of freedom of the various stakeholder groups

MOBILITY CHANGE – mobility transition

“Mobility change in the minds” can only be understood and happen as a result of structural changes. Structural conditions, similar to monetary or legal framework conditions, are the result of planning and (political) decision-making processes. It is therefore not only obvious but also necessary to include the decision-making processes in which way the mobility system is to be designed into a comprehensive transition management.

CHANGE! therefore considers the problem on three essential levels: individual USERS – TRAFFIC SYSTEM – GOVERNANCE. For the analysis, the research uses a broad set of innovative scientific solutions with participative involvement of relevant PLAYERS and STAKEHOLDERS as well as concrete TESTBEDS.