- Energy incl. renewable
- Mobility, transport
Introduction
- What added value can a spatial science perspective on mobility, accessibility and social participation provide?
- How can planning and participation processes be designed in a fair and socially inclusive manner?
- How can mobility and accessibility be systematically improved for disadvantaged groups and areas through spatial and/or transport policy strategies?
- How are objective and subjective accessibility related, and what does that mean for participation?
- How does the cost of transport affect participation?
- What role does the increasing digitalisation of mobility services play in relation to socially equitable participation?
- What perspectives can gender-based mobility research contribute with respect to the socio-ecological aspects of transformation?
- How have mobility, accessibility and participation changed in times of COVID-19?
- How do different modes of transport affect participation?
- How are new models for workplaces, housing, households and lifestyles affecting mobility?
The ability to take part in activities outside the home (participation) is vitally important for the social, economic and cultural viability of societies, as shown most recently during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Online activities related to work, school, shopping, leisure, family and other facets of life can at best only partly substitute for in-person interaction. Social participation therefore depends on mobility and on temporal and physical accessibility. Conversely, restrictions on accessibility and mobility can result in social isolation and a reduced quality of life. This applies especially to various socially and/or spatially defined groups with limited mobility and accessibility such as households without a car, older or disabled people, low-income households, and people in rural areas.
Studies on such relationships have evolved over the past two decades or so into a broad field of study in transport and spatial research, which is closely linked to the principles of fair and equal access to activities. These problems are also relevant in the context of the required mobility transition, which has to take ecological as well as social aspects into account.
In planning practice, safeguarding the spatial aspects of social participation has long been the aim of various guiding principles and instruments (safeguarding the provision of public services, equivalent living conditions, the central place principle, ABC planning (the Netherlands), gender planning, accessibility planning (UK), participative approaches, etc.).
The 2023 ARL Congress will focus on a multi-perspective view of the relationships between mobility and accessibility and various aspects of social participation in the course of discussions among researchers and planners. International perspectives and experiences, such as those of other European countries, will also be explored.
CONGRESS PROGRAMME
The programme for the ARL Congress includes three research- and practice-based keynote presentations. The spatial, temporal and social aspects of mobility and accessibility will be examined and discussed in five or six sessions. Current projects, particularly those of young researchers, will be the subject of a poster presentation. The programme will end with a closing discussion.
The conference will be held in German. For detailed information on the conference programme and how to register visit https://www.arl-net.de/de/content/arl-kongress-2023.
