Mobility And Environment

Transport issues are critically embedded in everyday life. For this very reason, ways of addressing such issues are almost always hugely politically contentious, as a quick glance at local and national media will testify. Such contentiousness is growing as ever increasing mobility for many in western society has led to a critical examination of the fundamental basis by which transport issues are considered in government and beyond. Despite the strength of this examination, the implementation of new approaches to dealing with transport issues has proved deeply problematic. The Politics of Mobility pioneers a methodological and theoretical framework derived from the social and political sciences to shed light on the complexities of dealing with these issues. It mobilises three case studies that highlight the realpolitik of dealing with such concerns for students, practitioners, researchers and activists.

This volume reviews the ecological effects of road, rail, marine and air transport. The focus ranges from identification of threats and repair of damaging effects to design of future transport systems that minimize environmental degradation. The scope of coverage extends from small ecosystems to the planet as a whole. Experts from a variety of disciplines address the topic, expressing views across the spectrum from deep pessimism to cautious optimism.

"The book has two aims. First, it demonstrates the common ground between the fast-growing fields of environmental history and mobility studies in terms of subject matter, theoretical approaches, and methodology. Second, it shows how mobility--the movements of people, things, and ideas, as well as their associated cultural meanings--has been a key factor in shaping Canadians' perceptions of and interactions with their country. Approaching the burgeoning field of environmental history in Canada through the lens of mobility reveals some of the distinctive ways in which Canadians have come to terms with the country's climate and landscape. The collection seeks to accomplish these aims with a broad scope: a series of case studies that span Canada's diverse regions, from the closing of the age of sail in the late nineteenth century to post-World War II automobile culture. Chapters examine a wide range of topics, from the impact of seasonal climactic conditions on different transportation modes, to the environmental consequences of building mobility corridors and pathways, and the relationship between changing forms of mobility with tourism and other recreational activities. The contributors employ a number of methodologies, including the use of traditional archival sources (correspondence, government reports, business ledgers, publicity materials) as well as historical geographic information systems (HGIS), qualitative and quantitative analysis, and critical theory."--

Mobility and Environment calls for a mobility revolution which does not simply mean taking a bus instead of a car: it implies a dramatic shift in the political debate from a technical to a political culture. The author introduces his book by disputing “non-political” Sustainable Development policies which are among the major culprits for the conservatism in environmental policies. For at least forty years, urban mobility policies, based on compulsive infrastructure building, have failed both in satisfying transportation demand and in coping with high environmental impacts. Nonetheless decision-makers keep employing the same professionals and therefore they act as shepherds who commit their sheep in the wolf’s custody. Corrado Poli treats mobility policy as a political, ethical, social and educational issue rather than as a mere civil engineering one. Mobility and Environment challenges some deeply entrenched professional and economic monopolies which negatively affect urban and transportation planning in North America and Europe, and argues the old idea which bounded transportation and communication. A real environmentalist effort in traffic planning should begin from new technologies and from the analysis of citizens preferences. A series of new projects are presented which include mobility demand reduction and focus on democracy in planning.

Sustainable mobility is a highly complex problem as it is affected by the interactions between socio-economic, environmental, technological and political issues. Energy, Transport, & the Environment: Addressing the Sustainable Mobility Paradigm brings together leading figures from business, academia and governments to address the challenges and opportunities involved in working towards sustainable mobility. Key thinkers and decision makers approach topics and debates including: · energy security and resource scarcity · greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions · urban planning, transport systems and their management · governance and finance of transformation · the threats of terrorism and climate change to our transport systems. Introduced by a preface from U.S. Secretary Steven Chu and an outline by the editors, Dr Oliver Inderwildi and Sir David King, Energy, Transport, & the Environment is divided into six sections. These sections address and explore the challenges and opportunities for energy supply, road transport, urban mobility, aviation, sea and rail, as well as finance and economics in transport. Possible solutions, ranging from alternative fuels to advanced urban planning and policy levers, will be examined in order to deepen the understanding of currently proposed solutions within the political realities of the dominating economic areas. The result of this detailed investigation is an integrated view of sustainable transport for both people and freight, making Energy, Transport, & the Environment key reading for researchers, decision makers and policy experts across the public and private sectors.

The health effects of society’s mobility and transport are addressed with a global perspective, including such topics as the effects of air pollution, noise, and sedentarism.

ÔFor a thorough and thoughtful perspective on what it will take to de-carbonize cities of the future, this book is a must-read. Technology alone, we are told, will not create the post-carbon city. As important is coming to grips with a complex web of cultural, institutional, financial, and social factors that powerfully shape mobility choices, now and in the future. A balanced, holistic approach that reveals how the many elements of contemporary transport systems work together offers the best hope for achieving more sustainable, less carbon-intensive mobility futures.Õ Ð Robert Cervero, University of California, Berkeley, US ÔThis is not just another book about transport and climate change. It sensibly places transport within the much broader concept of mobility and explores all aspects of travel behaviour, of people and goods, and the infrastructure needs to serve these, leading to a balanced set of policy proposals. This volume, compiled by an internationally eminent team of researchers, is essential reading for all those wanting a balanced and objective analysis of this critical topic.Õ Ð Roger Vickerman, University of Kent, UK ÔA unique assemblage of papers by top international experts that together cover every aspect of the transport-mobility-environment relationship Ð todayÕs central issue for transport planners worldwide.Õ Ð Sir Peter Hall, University College London (UCL), UK The transport sector has been singularly unsuccessful in becoming low carbon and less resource intensive. This book takes an innovative and holistic social, cultural and behavioural perspective, as well as covering the more conventional economic and technological dimensions, to provide a more complete understanding of the mobility and transport system and its progress towards high carbon mobility. The book uses this platform to explore the means to achieve low carbon mobility through outlining alternative pathways, through an investigation of theories of change, and through alternative visions of the low carbon transport city. The bookÕs core message is that the complexity of the mobility and transport system should not encourage inaction, but strong and immediate action. In addition to implementing a wide range of policy measures, the book argues for a fundamental change in ÔthinkingÕ when it comes to transport policy, governance and analysis approaches, before low carbon mobility becomes a reality. Bringing together the latest thinking on transport, mobility and the environment, this book will appeal to researchers and students interested in sustainability issues and sustainable transport and transport related areas in particular, including policy makers as well as a more general professional audience.

The current fossil fuel-based system of mobility is associated with a wide range of environmental and social problems. There is a growing body of literature on system innovations and transitions which has as a common understanding that long-term transformative change is necessary to deal with these complex problems. However, knowledge on the crucial role of citizen-consumers in sustainable mobility transitions is still underdeveloped. By incorporating the viewpoint of consumption patterns and everyday life routines, this book provides (new) knowledge on the role of citizen-consumers in sustainable mobility transitions. Theoretically, a practice based approach is developed as a novel framework to analyse, understand and influence transition processes to sustainable mobility at the level of everyday life. The focus in each of the three cases studies is on situated interactions between consumers and producers. Amongst these is an analysis of the role environmental information and subsidies in new car purchasing. Also, various examples in which an attempt was made to orchestrate a (modal) shift in commuting practices are examined. Each of the empirical case studies shows the important role of contextual factors in understanding and influencing mobility behaviour of citizen-consumers. In addition, this book helps to understand how and why innovation in mobility practices takes place or not.