The majority of Austria's population lives in rural areas, which are characterized by high car dependency, a high motorization rate, long distances and limited public transport. At the same time, maintaining essential infrastructure is becoming increasingly difficult. As a result, mobility opportunities – such as social participation and the ability to travel without a car – are decreasing. Women are particularly affected, as they have more complex travel patterns, less access to cars, and face economic disadvantages.
The MobiFlex initiative addresses these challenges and opportunities with the goal of improving service quality, reducing car dependency and mitigating its negative effects. In co-creation with women* and the involved pilot municipalities, concepts for mobility and location-based services (MobiFlex packages) will be developed. These will include measures for gender-equitable mobility in rural areas and aim to equalize mobility opportunities.
Using a mixed-method approach – including social network analysis, mobility diaries, walking tours, workshops, and a user advisory group – the mobility of women* in rural areas will be holistically analyzed. Five gender-relevant building blocks will be co-creatively designed and tested: (a) gender-specific mobility consulting for different target groups, (b) gender and everyday mobility, (c) gender and shared mobility, (d) gender and on-demand transport, and (e) gender-specific mobility communication within the real-life experiment.