Social Change and Demand for Mobility

People, on average, travel more often than they did in the past and also cover longer distances, There is an inevitable link between social change and the ways in which transport is now viewed and used. The current pattern of transportation use is strongly influenced by long standing trends such as income growth and urbanization, although the exact links have changed over time in the face of shifts in technology. But, at the turn of the twenty-first century, social trends that affect patterns of mobility are present. These include the aging of the populations of most industrialized countries and the increased leisure time that accompanies this. The role of women in society has undergone significant change and they now seek far more mobility in their lifestyles. The advent of the information age now raises questions about whether social interaction requires the same level of mobility as in the past. This is a theme also linked to society’s expanding awareness of the environmental costs of mobility. Finally, the institutions linking social change and mobility have been changing as new ideas of governance have emerged and as society has sought different attributes from its transport systems.