The voluntary carless and their leisure mobility

Abstract

In the strive to decrease car dependence, novel ways of thinking about mobility is needed. In this regard, much can be learned from those who voluntarily have refrained from car ownership. However, few studies have focused on the leisure mobility habits of this group in particular. This thesis aims to advance knowledge about leisure related mobility of the voluntarily carless in Sweden, and by doing so, the thesis seeks knowledge and insights that can be useful in impacting future travel behaviour, specifically towards sustainable mobility. A thematic analysis drawing from ten in-depth interviews was used to identify important themes. Theoretically, the thesis draws from concepts rooted in time geography, namely the concept of constraints. The results of the thesis show that the voluntarily carless are experiencing constraints in relation to their leisure related mobility, for example, reaching peripherally located outdoor activities is shown to be especially hard for the voluntarily carless. The results also indicate that the voluntarily carless are dependent on others for their leisure related mobility. Examples include both attending social events as well as children's hobby or sport practices, which frequently constituted a dependency on other car owners in everyday life. Additionally, the results indicate several limitations in the transport infrastructure that is employed by the voluntarily carless, primarily regarding cycling infrastructure. Moreover, the results have been discussed from a planning perspective, identifying areas of improvement for carless leisure mobility as well as in how they could contribute to decreased leisure related car use.