How can mobility be made sustainable? Why is the transition to sustainable mobility not making significant progress? How can conflicts and obstacles be overcome on the path to a post-fossil mobility culture?
Mobility is essential for participating in social life, ensuring access to work, education, and recreation. However, the current transport system causes significant environmental pollution, contributes to the climate crisis, and harms public health.
To reduce these negative impacts, a mobility transition is urgently needed. This transition relies on climate-friendly, environmentally sustainable, and energy-efficient transportation systems and infrastructure, fostering the shift toward a post-fossil mobility culture.
“The establishment of new commuting routines usually takes several months. That’s why long-term and low-threshold opportunities to try out alternative means of transport are an important complement to infrastructure expansion.”
Dr. Luca Nitschke, Research Scientist
The transition towards socially just and environmentally friendly mobility is progressing slowly and often leads to conflicts, such as over the use of road space.
We are therefore exploring ways to establish sustainable, attractive mobility options that reduce the dependence on private cars and promote social participation with less traffic. Our focus is on developing these solutions in a fair and participatory manner, ensuring they can be implemented on a broad scale. We are also researching strategies to reduce traffic, by travelling shorter distance.
“For a successful mobility transition, all modes of transport must be better integrated. Mobility services should be reliable, independent, and enjoyable so that people can easily incorporate them into their everyday lives.”
Dr. Jutta Deffner, Head of Research Unit Sustainable Society
ISOE is researching how train stations can become attractive, sustainable mobility hubs and lively places to spend time. It is developing a modular catalog of measures for their design.
