Session 24

H2 Urban Mobility Studies: Methodological Enquiry from Social Science and Human-Centric Approaches

Mobility remains a critical dimension of urban futures shaping everyday lives. Ranging from a pedestrian mobility outlook to a multi modal travel experience, it adds a dynamic and a temporal dimension to the larger urban systems and city experiences both physically and socially. It is increasingly relevant to therefore engage in mobility studies from a sector based approach of public transport (bus / rail networks) to walkability (pedestrian infrastructures) and from approaches to planning for cycling infrastructures to accessibility as an experience for persons with disabilities in street networks planning. Various urban approaches to mobility studies include transportation design, transport planning, social impacts, etc. within the realms of diverse modes of transportation i.e. railways, road systems, non motorised transit systems including several others. This session invites papers on research studies considering urban mobility and its social dimensions including preferences or usage patterns involving diverse sections of society from primarily the four axial constructs i.e. gender, age, abilities and socio economic aspects. The session aims to bring forth a collection of research methodologies and their challenges or complexities to conduct investigative research (both at data collection and analytical stages) in understanding and responding to perspectives of urban mobility. It involves methods of urban design to participatory studies, measurable and the immeasurable aspects of urban mobility including mapping and analysing data of diverse scales. It invites papers from diverse research groups in the domains of inclusive mobility and accessibility, gender and mobility aspects along with other aspects from human centric perspectives.