Policy Mixes for Urban Mobility Transitions: Diffusing Sustainable Mobility Options whilst Reducing Car Dependency

POLICYMIX4MOBILITY addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary cities: car dependency. Deeply intertwined with socio-economic inequality, public health issues, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution, car dependency persists despite decades of technological innovation and policy efforts to promote modal shifts. Intensifying conflicts over the allocation of public space and persistent inequalities in access to different mobility modes highlight the urgent need for more effective governance of urban mobility transitions. The project advances an inter- and transdisciplinary understanding of policy mixes and their effects on mobility practices. Drawing on a novel conceptual framework, POLICYMIX4MOBILITY combines qualitative case studies, quantitative modelling, and transdisciplinary methodologies (such as urban labs and policy forums) to analyse existing policy mixes and design prospective ones that foster sustainable mobility and reduce car use. Working closely with city administrations, POLICYMIX4MOBILITY co-creates a toolbox to support institutional, procedural, and social innovation, as well as political strategies to navigate the complex politics of reducing car dependency. In doing so, the project generates evidence and practical guidance for developing integrative and transformative policy mixes that are both socially just and aligned with the broader goal of achieving climate neutrality.