The role of time inequality in sustainable mobility: Analyzing socio-spatial disparities in German cities
Author: Sarah George, sarah.george@outlook.de
Department: Sociology
University: WZB, Germany
Supervisor: Heike Solga
Year of completion: In progress
Language of dissertation: English
Keywords:
mobility
, residential segregation
, time inequality
Areas of Research:
Environment and Society
, Regional and Urban Development
Abstract
Sustainability policies are an important instrument to combat climate change, with considerable potential to transform urban spaces. Within the transport sector, one of the largest global contributors to CO² emissions, strategies like expanding public transport, improving infrastructure for cycling and walking, and restricting private car use are essential to reduce emissions.
Research conducted in the United States (U.S) shows that access to sustainable mobility is not equally available to all social groups. Moreover, the transition to sustainable mobility often reinforces social inequalities. While active and public transportation reduce environmental burdens, they are often associated with higher financial and time costs than private car use. This discrepancy is frequently ascribed to urban structures, suburbanization, and the car-centric design of many cities. However, urban inequalities in Germany and Europe differ from those in the U.S., with lower residential segregation and better public transport. Nevertheless, private car use remains prevalent, contributing to continued emissions.
While U.S. research has focused on economic and infrastructural barriers to sustainable mobility, time inequality has received little attention. Time inequality, defined as the unequal distribution of time across social groups, is a crucial aspect of inequality. Especially in capitalist societies, time is a valuable resource, and its scarcity can increase stress, reduce well-being, and limit quality of life by restricting the time available for personal needs and leisure.
This dissertation examines the relationship between time inequality and sustainable mobility in German cities through three empirical studies. It integrates extensive mobility data with detailed spatial, socio-economic, and demographic information from the “MiD” survey (2002 & 2017) and the "Mobicor" survey (2020–2023).
The first chapter investigates how socio-spatial factors explain the environmentally friendly mobility behavior of individuals with higher educational attainment. Findings indicate that university-educated individuals more often reside in large cities and, within those, in central areas, resulting in shorter travel distances. Consequently, they utilize slower yet sustainable modes of transport without incurring higher travel time costs.
The second chapter finds that immigrants in German cities require more time for daily mobility for similar distances. This disparity is partly due to residential patterns, as immigrants often live in disadvantaged neighborhoods with limited access to public transportation and services. Additionally, qualitative interviews suggest that immigrants adjust their mobility behavior to avoid perceived unsafe situations in public spaces, which increases their travel times.
The third chapter examines the impact of work from home (WFH) on daily mobility and care work. While the COVID pandemic showed that WFH can reduce commuting times and emissions, studies suggest it may also increase women’s care-work burden. This study finds that women with lower educational attainment spend more time on care-work trips due to WFH, whereas college-educated women can reduce their care-related travel time when working from home.
This dissertation contributes to research on inequalities in sustainability transitions by exploring how time inequality shapes sustainable mobility. The findings indicate that merely expanding sustainable transport infrastructure is insufficient for equitable transitions. Instead, structural and time barriers must be addressed to enable all social groups to participate in sustainable mobility.
