Just Mobility Transitions (JUSTMOB)

Bergen is undergoing rapid changes in its urban mobility solutions. A new phase of the light rail is in progress. Electric scooters on the street have stirred up controversy. The public bicycle scheme has been expanded. Car sharing solutions are more popular than ever, and smart charging of electric cars and bicycles is becoming the norm. The debate over toll charges continues unabated, and green hydrogen fuel is attracting interest.

How do such rapid changes in mobility impact social justice? To what extent are the interests of those in the city centre and those in the suburbs taken into account? How do technological developments shift the nature of mobility in the city for those in different income classes? Are we witnessing a low-carbon transition; if so, is it a just transition? How can it become one?

The Just Mobility Transitions (JUSTMOB) programme aims to address these questions. It is anchored at the Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation. The programme is supported by the ‘European cities as actors in climate and energy transformation’ project funded by the Trond Mohn Foundation and led by Prof. Håvard Haarstad.

During the autumn semester of 2020, we will undertake extensive field research in Bergen, with different urban mobility user groups and experts. We plan to use a variety of techniques, ranging from qualitative interviews and structured focus groups to participant observation, multi-sited surveys and socio-spatial analysis. The programme is directed at generating actionable knowledge on how to facilitate a just transition for urban mobility in Bergen.

Interested in discussing these questions with us? We would love to hear from you!

See the Just Mobility Transitions launch seminar on 3rd September 2020 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4ttYl-DII

For questions about the JUSTMOB programme, contact Siddharth.Sareen@uib.no