1180 | | Rethinking regional mobility: Modal interactions, social and territorial inequalities | Xavier Fageda (1); Amparo Moyano (2); Chia-Lin Chen (3)
Regional mobility (including inter- & intra-regional) plays a fundamental role in economic and social development, and in the degree of integration and territorial cohesion. Latest trends such as new transport technologies, digitalisation, and unexpected global pandemic COVID-19 have affected modal choices, the way people used to work and live and other dimensions which might not yet been realised. Different modes for long-distance mobility have always produced different effects on the territory they cross in terms of accessibility provided, travel demand and purposes, economic repercussions, social or environmental impacts, etc. For sufficiently short distances, different modes of transport can cover mobility needs, although each mode of transport may present advantages or disadvantages depending on the route length or the trip purpose, among others. The interaction among modes of transport, via competition or cooperation, may have relevant effects on the price and service quality (travel time, frequencies, comfort, etc.) of the trip. In addition, accessibility improvements facilitate changes in mobility patterns and regional dynamism in terms of socio-economic activities such as businesses, tourism, or personal activities (work, leisure, training, education, social relationships etc). Therefore, the decision to service certain cities/towns is anything but neutral as the accessibility and connectivity provided could make the difference among places. In this sense, while larger cities have usually secured high levels of connectivity, benefiting from various transport alternatives, the reality for places outside core metropolitan areas such as rural areas, peripheries, hinterlands, or disadvantaged places is very different, which could bring to light persistent territorial inequalities and left behindness.
Potential topics could include, but are not limited to:
Exploring territorial inequalities for regional transport services in rural, peripheral, or disadvantaged areas
Competition and/or cooperation between different transport modes
The role of distance in explaining price and service quality strategies of transport operators
The role of railways for regional mobility: from large cities to suburban/rural areas
Competitiveness of DRTs (Demand-Responsive Transport) for regional mobility
Potential impacts of latest trends of new technologies and digitalisation implemented on regional mobility
New transport appraisal approaches in improving regional mobility and transport investment for linking rural, peripheral, disadvantaged areas.
New transport and territorial governance for rethinking regional mobility.
Current trends for tourism regional mobility as a potential boost for disadvantaged areas. Opportunities for rural tourism.
The session will be run in English
Xavier Fageda (1); Amparo Moyano (2); Chia-Lin Chen (3)
(1) University of Barcelona, (2) Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, (3) University of Liverpool
ID Abstract: