Better access to mobility has what it takes to lift people out of poverty. Researchers at the HSG have investigated how the inclusive mobility revolution can succeed.
Mobility must become more sustainable – not only in ecological terms, but also on a social level. A central point here is accessibility for people with physical or mental impairments. But there is much more to it than that, as various studies show: Mobility is a key tool for lifting people out of poverty – by providing access to economic and social life for everyone.
Researchers at the University of St. Gallen (HSG) argue that the inclusion factor should be taken into account in the mobility revolution. Currently, gentrification is creating inequalities: It pushes poorer social groups out of city centers. “People are being pushed away from culture and job opportunities, but they also have poorer mobility options,” Philipp Scharfenberger from the Institute for Mobility at the HSG sums it up.
Together with the World Economic Forum and the Boston Consulting Group, researchers at the HSG have therefore investigated which factors are needed for an inclusive mobility revolution. They see great potential in digitization – for example, through special apps for the blind or autonomous shuttle services. In addition, self-driving shuttles or subways would free up resources in the future. These could then be used, for example, to finance a better mobility network in the outer districts.
Unconventional means of transport could also contribute to inclusion: the researchers cite the urban cable car in the Colombian capital Bogota, which opened in 2018, as an example. Women in particular say they feel very safe in this mode of transport. At the same time, the cable car – as in other South American cities – overcomes the social divide.
