Mobility Transition in Urban Space - Mobility Concepts in German Neighbourhoods

Abstract

This thesis examines the effectiveness of mobility instruments in reducing private car dependency within residential neighbourhoods in Germany, addressing pressing environmental and spatial challenges. Grounded in the Avoid-Shift-Improve (ASI) framework, the study investigates which measures can promote sustainable urban mobility transitions and how their effectiveness varies across different neighbourhood types. The central research question focuses on determining the impact of nine selected mobility instruments, such as parking management, neighbourhood garages, bicycle garages, and mobility flat rates, on both restricting car use and promoting a shift towards alternative transport modes. The method integrates a literature review, and a quantitative online survey with mobility planning professionals. Neighbourhoods were categorised based on size and location using a pragmatic threshold of one hundred housing units, a criterion derived from expert consultations and insights into financing practices. This categorization provided a framework to compare urban and suburban contexts, revealing that restrictive measures, particularly parking management and traffic-calming, are highly effective in dense urban areas, whereas suburban settings require additional service-based incentives to compensate for lower density and higher car dependency. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how targeted mobility measures can reduce car dependency. It points out the importance of adapting strategies to specific neighbourhood contexts and integrating individual measures into comprehensive urban mobility plans. Finally, it contributes to the discourse on sustainable urban development by offering a schematic assessment approach for policymakers and urban planners aiming to achieve reasonable and environmentally friendly urban mobility systems.