Equitable mobility: what's in a name?
Is equitable mobility really a new concept? Or does it mean the same thing as sustainable mobility? Or do the two complement each other?
Colleague Els explained to Flemish mobility and policy makers during 5 keynotes in as many provinces what they have to gain by looking at mobility through equitable glasses.
Mobility is not an end in itself
Mobility is about making sure people get where they need (or want) to be. About making activities, services, people, work and hobbies accessible to everyone. So it is so much more than getting people from A to B, building roads or erecting bollards. It's about putting people on the road, both literally and figuratively. Without barriers; both literal, like pavements and steps, but also figurative, like cost, competences and availability.
And then you quickly arrive at a concept like equitable mobility. Is that something different from sustainable mobility? Yes, but not quite, because sustainable is only sustainable if it is also equitable. To get a better sense of what the term covers, it might be easier to start with the opposite.
UNjust because UNeven
How unfair is it that not everyone can cycle? Or that there are more parking spaces than Flemings. Or what about those thousands of abolished bus stops and bus lines. And that only 17% of those stops are really accessible to everyone?
We have to conclude that our current mobility system is strongly based on car ownership. That creates inequality. And that our traffic is becoming more anti-social instead of social. The fastest have more rights than the less fast. That the burdens are disproportionately distributed in relation to the benefits. All these small and large injustices and inequalities create differences in accessibility. And just that difference has a big social impact that is not always visible unless you pay attention to it. And that is what just mobility (or Transport Justice) does: make you look at our mobility system with a different perspective.
There are those who always get there, always get somewhere late or sometimes don't get there, and those who really never get there. There are those who pollute a lot, causing nuisance and insecurity, and those who contribute less to it but suffer more. Children, for example. Or the elderly. If you take a moment to look at everything from a distance, the inequality and the accompanying injustice soon stand out. Unjust mobility thus touches on fundamental human rights. Indeed, we know that our mobility policy currently increases rather than reduces existing disparities. Thus, urgent action is needed.
5 tips to take action against injustice
Onderzoek bewijst dat een rechtvaardiger mobiliteitssysteem alleen maar voordelen heeft. In termen van verkeersveiligheid, duurzaamheid, integratie en maatschappelijk welzijn voor iedereen. Mobiliteit is dus een krachtige hefboom om onrechtvaardigheid en ongelijkheid te bestrijden. Uit haar vijf keynotes selecteerde Els alvast deze actiepunten voor beleidsmakers om er werk van te maken.
1. Ga geen moeilijke of gevoelige thema’s uit de weg
Ja, mobiliteit zorgt soms voor hoogoplopende discussies of zelfs polarisering. Maar er bestaan goede en beproefde manieren om de zaken vlot te trekken. Participatie is één van de krachtigste tools in de box.
2. Kijk over muurtjes
Je staat er nooit alleen voor. Er is al heel veel expertise bij collega’s van andere diensten zoals welzijn, lokale economie, integratie & gelijke kansen, jeugd … Of haal inspiratie in andere gemeenten, provincies, regio’s (of zelfs nog verder), en overleg met hogere beleidsniveau’s en intercommunales. Ten slotte heb je ook veel medestanders en experts uit het middenveld die klaar staan met raad en daad.
3. Kijk vanuit kindperspectief
Wat goed is voor een 8-jarige is goed voor iedereen, jong én oud. Wissel van perspectief en bekijk mobiliteit eens wat vaker vanuit het standpunt van kinderen en jongeren. Je zal versteld staan van de impact van bv. een Schoolvervoerplan, een Schoolroutekaart of een Verkeerseducatieve Route.
4. Vertrouw op objectieve data
Buikgevoel is zelden een goede basis voor toekomstgericht mobiliteitsbeleid. Er zijn heel wat data, tools en onderzoek beschikbaar om vooroordelen en emoties uit te schakelen. Denk aan Telraam, ons onderzoek duurzame mobiliteit, ParkPAD, PING …
5. Leer en laat ervaren
De fiets is een heel democratisch vervoermiddel. Dat fietsen levens verandert, weten ze als geen ander bij De Fietsschool waar volwassenen leren fietsen. En soms moet je dingen ook eens (even) radicaal anders doen. Dat lukt bv. met een Autovrije Zondag of een guerilla-actie als VIP’s op de Fiets of tactical urbanism. Laat je creativiteit de vrije loop.
Els Van den broeck
Equitable mobility, mobility poverty or the mobility of 'enough': Els can make you look at our mobility differently like no other.
Everyone into the pool
The principle of equitable mobility is that everyone should have the opportunities to get where they need to be. To illustrate this, Els uses the image of a swimming pool. In fact, every municipality is a swimming pool with lots of lanes and all kinds of swimmers. As a policy maker, you have to make sure everyone gets to the other side safely and comfortably. You obviously don't achieve that objective by making all lanes the same, because that increases injustice. Use these 3 basic principles to build an inclusive pool:
- Accessibility
Make it clear that everyone is welcome in your pool. Make sure the lanes are adapted to everyone, regardless of swimming style, experience level or speed. Make sure people find their way to your pool, and communicate about it both online and non-digital. Work away barriers. That probably means providing extra aids for some swimmers.
- Affordability
Provide solutions for people who find it difficult or impossible to pay your pool's entrance fee.
- Availability
Make sure the lanes in your pool are safe for all types of swimmers. Do you make all lanes the same width or do you divide the available space differently? Give swimming lessons so that everyone can eventually swim laps in your pool.
To all mayors who signed the Covenant of Mayors: By working on equitable mobility, you tackle energy poverty and transport poverty at the same time!
And above all, know that there is support for equitable policies. People want nothing more than to swim in a pool where everyone makes it across. With Mobiel 21 we conducted a representative survey among 2,000 Flemish people and asked them about their mobility priorities. Safer, slower traffic, accessible and affordable public transport and investments in cycling policy are all in the top 3.
Related insights
What data from Cycling School Leuven teach us about the success of cycling lessons
What factors ensure that a person can actually cycle after a series of cycling lessons? Which factors increase the chances of success? Cycling School examined five years of data from cycling courses in Leuven and mapped out for the first time what really counts.
What makes research by Mobiel 21 so unique?
Mobiel 21 conducts mobility research that translates social signals and policy questions into concrete action points. Cycling behaviour, mobility poverty or support for local mobility measures? Together with citizens, policymakers, companies and all kinds of other organisations, we arrive at new insights. In an accessible and people-oriented way. Discover how we work.
Fighting transport poverty
Everyone has the right to move freely and participate in society. We support people facing transport disadvantages by identifying vulnerable groups, and seek to integrate equity into sustainable mobility.