Mobility for All: Study reveals weak points in Hanover!

Mobility for All: Study reveals weak points in Hanover!

The Social2Mobility research project has recently taken significant steps to promote mobility in Germany. Funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMBF), it has been aiming to advance the integration of mobility and social participation in municipal planning practice since 2019 until the planned end in 2024. As the University of Kassel reports, the implementation of the project is designed to be inter- and transdisciplinary, with participation from, among others, the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, the social and transport planning department of the Hanover region and the WVI Prof. Dr. Wermuth traffic research and infrastructure planning GmbH.

A central element of the project is the implementation and evaluation of concrete measures in three selected municipalities in the Hanover region. These measures are intended to develop new planning instruments that contribute to making mobility poverty visible and assess the impact of planned measures on social participation. In addition to the practical implementation, two key documents were published as part of the project: a policy brief, which brings together key findings and practice-oriented recommendations, and the IMPULS report, which addresses the mobility options and mobility behavior of households with children as well as the accessibility of child and adolescent medicine in the Hanover region.

Focus on social justice

Building on the foundational work of Social2Mobility, the second phase of the project, Social2Mobility II, will also be of great interest. The aim of this phase is to promote mobility regardless of income, age, gender or educational background, according to the website Social2Mobility clarified. The measures focus on the cities of Ronnenberg, Langenhagen and Laatzen, where the mobility habits and existing barriers of households were examined in the period from November 1st to 20th, 2022.

As part of this survey, around 2,600 households were randomly selected to ensure statistically neutral and equivalent data collection. All household members aged six and over were eligible to participate. Each participant received an individual access code so that they could fill out the questionnaire on different devices. There was also the opportunity to participate anonymously on site at the neighborhood meeting in Empelde and Wiesenau, as well as offers to participate by telephone.

Aims of the survey and their significance

One goal of these surveys was to identify and analyze weak points in local mobility. These findings should contribute to improving the local mobility structure. As a thank you, the participating households were given the chance to win 100 euros in a raffle. The survey not only pursues scientific goals, but also has the potential to sustainably increase the quality of life of people in the affected cities.

Overall, the results of the Social2Mobility project not only provide important insights into the mobility habits of the population, but they also offer practical recommendations for action for municipalities. The published documents, including the Policy Brief and the IMPULS report, can be viewed on the City of Hanover website.