Mobility and Social Cohesion in the Splintered City: Challenging Technocentric Transport Research and Policy-making Practices

Abstract

This paper argues that dominant research practices in the urban transport field add to rather than subtract from social cohesion and mobility inequities. While this is recognised as an ongoing political struggle, it is also explained through a failure to mobilise consistently a broad definition of social cohesion in transport research and policy-making; and a technology fixation among communities of transport research and practice, particularly in the commissioning of European Commission research. Elements of a new urban mobility agenda are proposed to address mobility challenges and to improve the fostering of urban social cohesion.

Considering daily mobility for a more comprehensive understanding of contextual effects on social inequalities in health: A conceptual proposal

“…Although mobility in itself has been deemed "a critical key to individual freedom, independence, access to work, education, health, and leisure" (Miciukiewicz and Vigar, 2012), as well as important for social inclusion (Stanley et al, 2011) and well-being (Spinney et al, 2009), we cannot over-emphasize the importance of also considering social inequalities in the characteristics of places or activity settings and in the types of resources accessible when (im)mobile. Attributes which define an individual's social role (e.g.…”

“…In fact, the distribution of resources and of physical environment characteristics are neither socially nor politically neutral (Harvey, 1973, Soja, 2010. For instance, mobility opportunities such as public transit routes, bike paths, and access to highways may not be distributed equally across urban spaces (Miciukiewicz and Vigar, 2012), though this may depend on the layout of a given city (Fuller et al, 2013). Individual and geographic characteristics, as well as access conditions, thus interact to enable or impede certain social groups' possible mobilities.…”

Understanding Mobilities for Designing Contemporary Cities

“…In this situation much hope lies on the visions of 'smart cities'-understood as smart technologies, smart energy and so forth. But the most concepts of 'smart cities' are again 'technocentric' (Miciukiewicz and Geoff Vigar 2012). Instead of thinking about social innovations and qualitative growth them underly the predominant ideology that an increase in efficient use of technologies will lead to a more efficient use of energy and to sustainable lifestyles and mobility practices.…”

“…Urban politics and planning need to gain the capacities to act for a conception that understands mobility rather as a social fact and process than only as the effect of optimized travels from A to B. Urban mobility networks are critical in framing the mobility opportunities of individuals and this in shaping social practices and networks of human interaction within various spheres of city life (Miciukiewicz andGeoff Vigar 2012, p. 1941). …”

“…In a holistic concept of mobility transport serves individuals and social groupings not only as a utilitarian means of access to goods and services, but also as a crucial determinant of connectedness to diverse human networks and spaces of social integration (Miciukiewicz andGeoff Vigar 2012, p. 1942).…”