Speaker
Description
As societies strive for sustainability, the mobility transition emerges as one of the most pressing challenges of spatial planning, influencing not only transportation networks but also the interconnected systems of energy, housing, and social infrastructures. This presentation addresses the challenge of achieving a socio-ecological mobility transition that considers diverse spatial structures. Whereas urban areas often receive more attention in sustainable mobility policies, rural regions in the European Union remain largely underserved, with a "near-total absence of specific policy for mobility" (Flipo et al., 2023, p. 136). As a result, rural areas continue to be heavily reliant on cars, which impacts both social equity and environmental sustainability (Flipo et al., 2023; Székely and Novotný, 2022; Vitale Brovarone and Cotella, 2020). Despite the important role of civil society actors in mobility transition conflicts (Frantzeskaki et al., 2016), existing research often overlooks rural contexts. Many rural stakeholders feel excluded from decision-making in climate and energy policies (Zilles and Marg, 2023). At the same time, the conflict lines are much more complex than a simple urban-rural divide (Fienitz and Siebert, 2021). This presentation argues that rural areas require more focused attention, given the distinct civil society dynamics, for example regarding the role of volunteering, informal political activities, and personal relationships in rural mobility struggles.
A qualitative case study of the conflict over cycling conditions in the southern German federal state of Bavaria (2017-2023) provides insights into the role of rural stakeholders in mobility transition conflicts. This case study explores the escalation of the conflict following the formation of a broad civil society alliance advocating for a Bavarian Cycling Law. Unlike other German initiatives, this campaign actively involved rural regions, recognising that over half of Bavaria’s population lives in rural areas. Based on expert interviews, media coverage, documents, and field visits, the study identifies several key characteristics of the conflict in rural contexts:
- Conflict context: The debate over cycling conditions in Bavaria is deeply embedded in the broader political discourse on achieving equal living conditions between rural and urban areas.
- Conflict objects: In contrast to urban cycling debates, rural conflicts primarily centred around issues like the acquisition of agricultural land for intermunicipal cycle paths, nature conservation concerns, and the conflicting needs of everyday and tourist cyclists.
- Conflict actors: Key stakeholders in rural areas include farmers' associations, which are crucial for resolving conflicts, yet their involvement in cycling mobility debates has been limited.
- Conflict dynamics: The mobilisation for the Bavarian Cycling Referendum in 2023 was strategically timed before the state elections, limiting the time for signature collection in rural areas. This short timeframe was challenging for rural counties lacking established civil society networks, where more time was needed to build support.
- Conflict modes: In rural regions, personal relationships play a significant role in communication, and the success of mobilisations often depends on committed individuals, as it is difficult to mobilise the public around issues such as cycling. At the same time, the effect of greater networking and capacity building in civil society can be seen - in some cases, but not everywhere - in the mobilisation for the Cycling Referendum in Bavaria.
Coming from a background of spatial planning research and applying the conceptual approach of a multi-level analysis of spatially embedded conflicts, I contribute new perspectives to mobility research. The empirical findings contribute to a better understanding of mobility transition conflicts and the role of civil society actors in rural areas and thus have broader implications beyond the areas studied.
References
Fienitz, M. and Siebert, R. (2021) 'Urban versus Rural? Conflict Lines in Land Use Disputes in the Urban–Rural Fringe Region of Schwerin, Germany', Land, vol. 10, no. 7, p. 726.
Flipo, A., Ortar, N. and Sallustio, M. (2023) 'Can the transition to sustainable mobility be fair in rural areas?', Transport Policy, vol. 139, pp. 136–143.
Frantzeskaki, N., Dumitru, A., Anguelovski, I., Avelino, F., Bach, M., Best, B., Binder, C., Barnes, J., Carrus, G., Egermann, M., Haxeltine, A., Moore, M.-L., Mira, R. G., Loorbach, D., Uzzell, D., Omann, I., Olsson, P., Silvestri, G., Stedman, R., Wittmayer, J., Durrant, R. and Rauschmayer, F. (2016) 'Elucidating the changing roles of civil society in urban sustainability transitions', Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, vol. 22, pp. 41–50.
Székely, V. and Novotný, J. (2022) 'Public transport-disadvantaged rural areas in relation to daily accessibility of regional centre', Journal of Rural Studies, vol. 92, pp. 1–16.
Vitale Brovarone, E. and Cotella, G. (2020) 'Improving Rural Accessibility', Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 7, p. 2876.
Zilles, J. and Marg, S. (2023) 'Protest and Polarisation in the Context of Energy Transition and Climate Policy in Germany', German Politics, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 495–516.
| Keywords | Mobility; rural areas; civil society; conflict; cycling |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
