My central research topic are societal preconditions for transitions in the transport system towards sustainability: Under which conditions can social structures such as norms, values or institutional frameworks change in such way that the climate protection goals in transport can be achieved? What role can technical innovations such as new mobility offers play in this process? I examine these questions from the perspective of sociology of technology.
In my previous work at the Innovation Centre for Mobility and Social Change (InnoZ) and the Technical University of Berlin, I have been intensively involved in the potential of mobility innovations such as car and bike sharing and electric mobility, but also in transport policy strategies and scopes for action with regard to sustainable mobility. In my dissertation, I examined the connections between mobility innovations, mobility attitudes and the acceptance of key measures of mobility transitions. The central thesis was that a transformation in mobility concerns becomes possible when the privileges of private car traffic are socially questioned. My thesis is that the acceptance of such a transport policy increases in turn with the spread of new mobility offers and the emergence of a "multi-optional" mobility culture.
In the context of MoveMe, I would like to pursue these theses further and examine more closely how the implementation of new mobility offers can be controlled in such a way that it contributes to the achievement of climate protection goals. On my daily walks through Berlin, I find interesting illustrative examples like scooters, cargo bicycles and car-sharing cars to show what a changed mobility culture could look like.
More about my field of interest
lisa.ruhrort@wzb.eu
