Factors influencing the promotion of year-round active mobility in the Baltic Sea region

Abstract

Active mobility plays a significant role in creating equitable and sustainable mobility systems and fostering more inclusive and healthy urban environments. However, the benefits of active mobility are hindered by the seasonal variations, especially in the context of the Baltic Sea Region countries. In addition, a car-centric culture has shaped not only our physical environments but also the ways we plan them. Stemming from that, various institutional and noninstitutional factors pose as barriers to the mainstream of a year-round active mobility culture. Understanding these factors and their interplay is crucial in developing strategies to foster a culture that values and prioritizes active mobility.

Little attention has been given by researchers to the promotion of active mobility in the Southern Baltic Sea Region. Therefore, this study seeks to offer perspectives from small- and medium-sized cities and fill in the research gaps by providing context-specific insights from this region. Employed case study research, the thesis highlights the importance of context and adopts three research methods: questionnaire, document analysis and expert interviews.

The study reveals various key factors influencing the promotion of active mobility, with a mix of similarities and differences, between the case cities. The natural conditions, while affecting active mobility as a modal choice, can be largely overcome with proper infrastructure and maintenance. It also reveals that demographic trends, land-use trends and mobility system have strong correlations, contributing to a car-centric culture in these cities. Moreover, the institutional factors, namely legal and administrative system, planning culture, planning process and procedure, organizational capacity and political landscape, are greatly shaped by the aforementioned factors and hence often pose as barriers to planning and implementing of active mobility initiatives. The lack of financial resources, political support and horizonal/vertical cooperation are found to be the most serious issues.