Changing Mobilities: Evaluating the potentials for transformative mobility cultures based on socio-material network analysis

Keywords: sustainable mobilities, sharing in the neighborhood, socio-material network analysis, sustainable planning, living lab research
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 09:40 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 11:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 77

Abstract

Cities are complex configurations of people, places, spaces, technologies, architectures and infrastructures. They are embedded in complex socio-technical systems, which are subject to constant change.
Interferences into these overarching systems, i.e. through climate change and the COVID 19 pandemic, challenge cities but also put the underlying urban social networks under massive strain. During the COVID 19 crisis we could observe how spaces that have been part of vivid social life for years suddenly ran empty. People were forced to adapt and practices of moving through urban spaces have changed significantly. Also the configurations between physical and digital mobilities changed deeply.
Participative methods and formats such as so called living labs can capture such changes. Further, they help moderating the transition towards sustainability. The German research project “MobiQ – Sustainable mobility through sharing in the neighborhood” aims for bringing together citizens to develop more sustainable mobility concepts. In three living labs – one in a metropolis, one in a medium size city and one in a rural area - the methodology combines social network analysis and participative work in an innovative way. The paper focusses on the laboratory in a medium size German city, often described as a place in social and economic decline. Based on a socio-material network analysis the paper shows how closely connected social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainable mobility in individual life courses and perceptions are. The authors try to exploit the full potentials of the methodology to contribute to emerging sustainable mobility cultures.