Our expertise
The uncontrolled growth of urban traffic for the past decades has caused numerous problems affecting the quality of life in cities. These problems include environmental pollution, safety, and social exclusion. Therefore, a new discourse of transport planning emerged focusing on the management of travel demand and the promotion of a modal shift from car transport to sustainable modes such as public transport, cycling and walking. Sustainable urban mobility policy ensures that people can access essential services in an affordable, inclusive, environmentally friendly and safe way. To accelerate the sustainable transition of cities we focus on developing methods and tools:
- Design and analysis of travel behaviour surveys
- Impact assessment of mobility interventions and services
- Designing and conducting a co-creation process with citizens
- Stakeholder-based evaluation of mobility measures
- Decision support in complex multi-level contexts
- Scenario building to cope with uncertain futures
Ongoing projects
MASTERCOM (Mastering Sustainable Commute Plans)
The MASTERCOM project (Mastering Sustainable Commute Plans) will run for 1 year: 2023 - 2024. Within this project Mobilise will be responsible to compile current academic knowledge and best practice in the fields of commuting, company mobility management and flexible employment arrangements, design course contents and contribute to the toolkit design.
Remobilise (Resilient Mobility Strategies for Uncertain Futures in Brussels)
The Innoviris “Resilient Mobility Strategies for Uncertain Futures in Brussels” (Remobilise) project aims to increase the resilience of mobility in Brussels. Using innovative and participatory research methods, Remobilise develops several scenarios of potential future developments in Brussels. Subsequently, the project will set to compose out-of-the-box policy measures tailored for the different outcomes. Aside from related text and visual outputs, the findings will also take shape in a unique software tool which will allow decision-makers to quickly reassess their strategies and generate effective measures applicable for a wide variety of changing circumstances.
SmartHubs (Smart Mobility Hubs as game changers in transport)
The Smart Mobility Hubs as game changers in transport (smarthubs) (2021-2024) project examines mobility hubs, dedicated on-street locations where citizens can choose from different shared and sustainable mobility options. The main objective is to assess if a co-designed, user-centric development can enable mobility hubs to act as a game changer towards inclusive sustainable urban mobility and accessibility. SmartHubs will examine, develop and apply research methods and tools in SmartHubs Living Labs in Brussels, Rotterdam-the Hague metropolitan region, Munich, Vienna and Istanbul. We will develop and apply novel participatory and impact assessment tools like a multi-actor multi-criteria analysis method to involve individual citizens and co-creation approaches to facilitate co-creation processes of mobility hub design involving vulnerable to exclusion population segments such as low-income, digitally underskilled, female citizens and refugees.
SSH Centre (Social Sciences and Humanities for Climate, Energy and Transport Research Excellence)
Mobilise is a partner in the Social Sciences and Humanities for Climate, Energy and Transport Research Excellence (SSH-Centre) project that was launched in September 2022.
The project will engage directly with stakeholders across research, policy, and business (including citizens) to strengthen social innovation, SSH-STEM (Social Sciences and Humanities – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) collaboration, transdisciplinary policy advice, inclusive engagement, and SSH communities across Europe, accelerating the EU’s transition to carbon neutrality. Our project will directly address this challenge supporting cross-sectoral collaborations and empowerment of citizens and networks towards the development of socially innovative solutions for the EU’s climate transition. Mobilise is responsible for building SSH-STEM collaboration in the field of mobility.
STREETFORUM
Mobilise is the consortium leader of the project STREETFORUM, which started in March 2023.The project will develop the StreetForum Toolkit to help urban authorities, citizens and civic organisations to build consensus around street transformation projects affecting accessibility in urban neighbourhoods. The toolkit will be tested in four living labs (Brussels, Vienna, Stockholm, Istanbul).
What is the best for our communities? How can we support change? How do we negotiate with residents, road users and the authorities to find a consensus to reduce traffic and improve liveability in our neighbourhood? The StreetForum Toolkit will help to answer these questions by developing a set of analogue and digital tools available free-of-charge to local communities to support their efforts of neighbourhood street transformation, reduce car traffic and improve liveability. The tools will be demonstrated in Istanbul, Brussels, Vienna and Stockholm working with local communities to transform car-dominated streets into streets for people.
TANDEM (Just Transition Policies Co-Created with Communities)
TANDEM is a European project aiming to create and implement just transition pathways by involving those potentially affected in the policymaking process. It will test its methodology in Brussels (Belgium), Innsbruck (Austria), Ostrobothnia (Finland), Catalonia (Spain), and Krzywca (Poland).
TANDEM's main objective is to develop a transdisciplinary approach to identify and analyse emerging inequalities of low-carbon transition policied and co-design equitable, just and effective alternative transition pathways with stakeholders.
Finished projects
Cairgobike
Mobilise will use its external cost calculator to evaluate the impact of cargo bikes on air quality, climate change, noise pollution, life expectancy, traffic jams and accidents. Mobilise will compare trips when the participants are testing a cargo bike from urbike or Pro Velo to their normal trips without a cargo bike. The results should then show the extent to which the cargo bike influences the different external effects of travel.
The research group will set up a support base measurement for cargo biks, with the aim of understanding and analysing the motivations for and barriers to using one. The recommendations for government policy will then be formulated according to the UTAUT model (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology).
Co-creating a schoolstreet zone in Anderlecht
In this project, we developed and applied a methodology for the re-design of a school neighbourhood that takes into account the needs and priorities of all affected stakeholders, namely the pupils, parents, teachers, and residents. The research took place in the municipality of Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Nearly 1300 pupils of four schools were surveyed about their current and desired mobility. Workshops were also organized with pupils to design solutions to the problems they encounter. The results showed that there is a strong potential for modal shift since only 5% of children currently bike to school, but 36% wish to do so. Furthermore, many of the surveyed parents and teachers as well as about half the surveyed residents consider traffic safety to be a problem in the neighbourhood. Based on the input from all stakeholder groups, recommendations were made for the re-design of the neighbourhood. This re-design included changes in traffic flows as well as a bike path traversing the whole neighbourhood, connecting the four schools.
Companies and sustainable mobility. The company car debate and beyond
The aim of the research chair (2015-2019) was to generate a broad, scientifically substantiated approach of company mobility based on cross-community and multidisciplinary academic research focusing on different geographic scales and cases, with a particular interest in the Brussels metropolitan area. We developed a stated choice experiment to assess the readiness of company car users to use alternative modes or financial incentives. We also assessed the impact of different alternatives to the current company car regime (mobility budget, electrification of the fleet, tax reform) on the different stakeholders.
Evaluation of the 'Brussels on Vacation' initiative
During the summer of 2020, the streets of Brussels were taken over by activities funded under the ‘Brussels on Vacation’ initiative of the Brussels Capital Region. All activities took place in the public space and ranged from cycling tours to an urban beach to cultural performances. The initiative had two aims: to make the summer of the inhabitants of Brussels as enjoyable as possible and to promote the new regional mobility plan called Good Move. The initiative was evaluated through semi-structured interviews with the organisers of the activities. While activities organised under the ‘Brussels on Vacation’ initiative managed to entertain residents, the link with the regional mobility plan was often missing.
Flamenco (Flanders Enacted Mobile Citizen Observatories)
In the Flanders Enacted Mobile Citizen Observatories (Flamenco) project (2016-2019) we investigated how citizens can be empowered to collect and analyse data from their surroundings by setting up and testing a citizen observatory for mobility. Such a citizen observatory is an online platform that enables the bottom-up initiation and implementation of smartphone-based data collection campaigns.
Impact assessment of the pedestrianisation of the city centre in Brussels
MOBILISE studied the impact of the pedestrianisation of Brussels’ central boulevards on people’s mobility and their appreciation of the city centre. Surveys were conducted among three groups: 1) residents of the larger metropolitan area, 2) people who work in the centre (online), and 3) visitors (face to face), before (2017) and after (2021) the physical makeover of the streets. Despite the initial controversy, results show an overall increase in appreciation of the pedestrianisation, particularly among those who live close and use public transport, walk or cycle.
INDIMO project (Inclusive Digital Mobility Solutions)
The Inclusive Digital Mobility Solutions (INDIMO) (2020-2022) project aims to enable researchers, operators, developers and policy makers to include the user perspective and co-creation approaches into the entire development process of digital mobility solutions. We are developing a policy evaluation tool to assess the inclusivity and accessibility of new mobility services based on the insights we have collected from stakeholder interviews and workshops. In addition, we have designed and implemented the monitoring of 5 pilots of the project to assess how the INDIMO toolkit can make services and application more inclusive and accessible.
You can find an overview of the results from the INDIMO project in this article by CORDIS or in the Results Pack on Inclusive Mobility.
Integration of public transport and demand-responsive mobility services
In many Western countries, governments are implementing an innovative demand-driven mobility policy. An example is the recent Flemish decree ‘Basisbereikbaarheid’, which aims at creating an integrated mobility system in which a user’s trip may be a combination of different types of services. Timetabled public transport will be maintained on lines with high demand, whereas private providers of collective on-demand mobility services (dial-a-ride services) will be invoked to replace unprofitable public transport in rural areas, according to the Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) principle. First, this research addresses the route optimisation problem faced by the dial-a-ride providers on the operational level, i.e. how to synchronise their flexible routes and schedules to the public transport services in real time, taking into account efficiency and reliability. Second, this research considers the design of the integrated mobility system itself, i.e. how to decide which type of service is most cost-effective in a certain area.
Looper (Learning Loops in the Public Realm)
In the Learning Loops in the Public Realm (Looper) project (2017-2020) we developed a methodology and toolkit for co-creation for interventions in the public realm. We have demonstrated the co-creation methodology and tools in living labs to co-design solutions for safer, greener and more inclusive neighbourhoods in Brussels, Manchester and Verona.
Mobility4EU
In the Mobility4EU project we developed four scenarios, a vision and an action plan for transport and mobility in Europe in 2030. The methodology combined scenario building and participatory evaluation (multi-actor multi-criteria analysis) as well as a series of participatory workshops.
MOBRU (Rethinking transport infrastructure investments and mobility management across the Brussels metropolitan area: from critical analyses to cooperative policies)
The MOBRU project (2015-2019) studied evaluation and decision making in politically complex transport projects, using inter-regional transport projects between Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia as a test case. It resulted in two novel appraisal approaches, which can be applied separately or combined: 1) Competence-based Multi Criteria Analysis (COMCA); which takes into the account the role of stakeholders for assessing the feasibility of projects, and 2) Stakeholder-based Impact Scoring (SIS), an algorithm for quantifying and comparing negative and positive impacts of projects for different stakeholders, which lends itself for tackling ill-structured decision-making problems.
NISTO (New Integrated Smart Transport Options)
The New Integrated Smart Transport Options (NISTO) (2013-2016) project developed and tested an evaluation framework and toolkit for small-scale mobility projects. This framework was used to assess stakeholder preferences through the multi-actor multi-criteria analysis as well as the sustainability of the projects through multi-criteria analysis.
Oetingen2050
Scenario building exercises often result in scenarios that do not take into account disruptions. This reduces their usefulness for policymaking. In the project Oetingen2050, inhabitants of the Belgian village of Oetingen were engaged to develop mobility scenarios for the year 2050 that explicitly take into account disruptions. Using offline and online participatory methods, inhabitants were engaged to define their preferred mobility vision, to identify processes that could disrupt this vision, and to describe how this disruption would change their preferred vision. Emphasis was put on the engagement of children and young adults, who have more creative ideas.
Operations of demand-responsive electric autonomous shuttles on a fixed circuit
Innovative shared mobility services involving electric autonomous shuttles have increasingly been implemented in recent years. Due to technical and legal restrictions, these services are usually implemented on fixed circuits (e.g. city centres, hospital campuses, airports) and operate according to fixed schedules. This research studies a variant in which the shuttles’ stopping patterns and schedules are determined in a flexible manner, based on real-time user requests. The aim is to determine the shuttles’ stops, schedules and recharging scheme, such that the total user journey time and the total number of performed laps is minimised. Experiments based on a real-life system in Renmark demonstrate that such a service allows providers to reduce operational costs and improve service quality.
Sprout (Sustainable Policy Response to Urban Mobility Transition)
The sustainable Policy Response to Urban Mobility Transition (Sprout) Horizon 2020 project aims to generate new, city-led, and innovative policy responses to the challenges presented by the emergence of digitally enabled business models, new mobility patterns, and corresponding travel behaviour. In order to do this, SPROUT collaborates with 5 pilot cities (Tel Aviv, Valencia, Kalisz, Budapest and Padua) that have real-life policy challenges. For these cities, we developed do-nothing scenarios for the future of urban mobility for a 2025/2030 timeline using the cross-impact balance analysis method combined with participatory workshops and creative elements (scenario images). Then we evaluated the potential impact of the policy responses planned in the pilot cities on different stakeholder groups using the Stakeholder-based Impact Scoring (SIS) method.
Strong Sustainability Appraisal for Transport (STUNT)
Current standard decision-making models for transport are based on a so-called ‘weak’ concept of sustainability, in which any negative impact can be offset by any positive impact, so as to recommend ‘optimal’ solutions. In reality, practitioners often do not follow these recommendations, and theoreticians increasingly criticise the fundaments of weak sustainability. In STUNT we therefore explore alternative theoretical concepts of sustainability, but we also systematically analyse past transport projects to identify the factors that are decisive in real-world planning. We use these insights to build and test a new framework for strong sustainability appraisal. STUNT is a collaboration between VUB-MOBILISE and VUB-COSMOPOLIS and is sponsored by FWO.
Traveller’s multitasking activities on public transport in Brussels
We carried out an observation survey of passengers on metros, trams and buses in Brussels to investigate their multitasking activities while travelling. The aim was to identify if the mode of transport, travel distance, level of crowdedness, the proportion of underground sections and demographic characteristics of passengers have an impact on the type of activities performed on board with special attention to the frequency of the use of information and communication technology (ICT) devices. The results showed that the range of multitasking activities is not significantly different on buses, trams and metros. We showed that it is travel distance, the presence of travel companion and socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender) that are more important determinants of multitasking activities and the frequency of ICT use than travel mode itself in this specific urban context.
