Social innovations for transitioning towards sustainable mobility

Abstract

Mobility is a basic need human need, fostering personal interrelations and exchange of good. Growing mobility
also bears negative side effects and costs increase. In search for new mobility solutions, technological innovations
play a key role when it comes to electric mobility or automated driving. For a successful mobility transition, new
spaces for innovative forms and models of sustainable and inclusive mobility services are emerging based on
transition thinking. This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the scope and impact of social
innovations for sustainable and inclusive mobility by providing empirical evidence for shared mobility solutions
in rural areas in Austria. It provides evidence for the power of social innovations driven by civic engagement to
create local ‘niches’ and also points out limits for scaling towards systemic change.