Urban mobility, demographical changes and accessibility and transport for elderly

Abstract

There are two dilemmas with the increased mobility Europe has witnessed over the last century. On the one hand, mobility has become an essential condition for social emancipation and economic development. Whilst on the other hand, the social differentiation of access to new transport technologies is serving to fragment and splinter social cohesion. This dichotomy presents a challenge since “personal mobility is key to independence”. Accessibility to the spatial opportunities in the built urban and rural environments is a hurdle for people with reduced mobility, such as disabled people, elderly people, families with young children, and the young children themselves. Society is changing, is getting older, and is more open to transnational mobility patterns, including the growth of tourism and in-migration. Society is expecting more flexible mobility solutions, which need to be affordable also for people with low incomes.