Private

FS 3.219

Mobility in mountain regions

Details

Full Title
FS 3.219: Mobility and transport in mountain regions: adressing research gaps and best practices
Scheduled
TBA
Location
TBA
Convener
Daniel Miravet Arnau
Co-Conveners
Aaron Gutiérrez,
Assigned to Synthesis Workshop
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Thematic Focus
Adaptation, Mobility, Sustainable Development, Tourism
Keywords
Mobility, Transport, Public transport, Cars

Description

The study of mobility in mountain regions has received far less attention compared to densely populated areas. Challenges are nonetheless non-negligible. First, low population density and dispersion make mass public transport services difficult to implement. Second, complex terrains increase the cost of infrastructures and the length of journeys. Third, dependency on cars tends to be high. Consequently, negative externalities arise: higher carbon emissions per capita, lack of accessibility for non-drivers, visitors’ dependency on cars (noise, congestion, limited infrastructure and parking capacity), and loss of population, services and competitiveness. Mobility in mountain regions must be properly addressed by researchers and practitioners. This session invites interdisciplinary studies on residents’ and tourists’ mobility. The following topics are suggested as research gaps:

Sources of data to analyse mobility
Empirical works on mobility behaviour
Mobility planning and its relationship with urban planning
Public transport solutions
Shared mobility
Best practice analysis
Policy proposals.

Alternative relevant related topics might fall into the scope of the session, and therefore also considered. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of the key mobility dynamics that shape individuals’ mobility decisions and the actions to make mobility more sustainable and socially equitable and to sustain competitiveness. This session is coordinated under the umbrella of research project ADAPTOUR led by the Territorial Analysis and Tourism Studies Research Group of the Rovira i Virgili University.

Submitted Abstracts

ID: 3.9545

Reviewing mobility policies for rural and mountain areas. The experience of the Working Group on Rural Mobility of Catalonia

Eloi Guinjoan

Abstract/Description

Catalonia is a mountainous and very diverse region, beyond the popular city of Barcelona. 75% of the Catalan territory is rural and 46% is considered mountain areas. In 2022, the Catalan Government adopted the Rural Agenda of Catalonia, a document that should guide policy makers in the definition of new policies that take into account the reality and needs of rural and mountain areas. The Rural Agenda of Catalonia identifies mobility as one of the main challenges for the development of these areas. As a result, in 2024 the network of Local Action Groups of Catalonia –ARCA– created a Working Group on Rural Mobility. This group consists of twenty people from public and private entities with wide knowledge on rural mobility. The aim of the group is to delve deeper into the needs, complaints and demands of rural and mountain areas in terms of mobility, analysing them from an expert perspective and proposing solutions. During 2024, the Working Group identified and analysed a large number of factors that hinder or limit people’s mobility in rural and mountain areas. These factors are related to governance, data availability, the public transport fare system, supply and quality of public transport services, school transport, shared mobility and sustainability. Based on this analysis, the Working Group agreed on 50 proposals for improving mobility in rural and mountain areas, which will be presented and transferred to the Catalan Ministry responsible for mobility in 2025. In conclusion, the Working Group on Rural Mobility of Catalonia aims to be a participatory instrument to put pressure on public bodies in order to move towards mobility policies adapted to the specific needs and challenges of rural and mountain areas. In this regard, it can be considered that the Working Group is promoting rural proofing approaches within the public administration, that is, assessing the impact of public policies on rural areas and reviewing them through a rural lens.

ID: 3.11416

The best, the worst, and the chosen – destination attributes and decision-making in rail travel

Bartosz Bursa
Mölk, Felix; Tappeiner, Gottfried; Mailer, Markus

Abstract/Description

Private vehicle is a dominant transportation mode in long distance vacation travel within continental Europe (Bursa, 2024), which incurs negative external costs, particularly harmful in sensible mountain environments. Efforts are being made to shift travelers to other modes of transportation, such as rail, but with little effect so far. Meanwhile, a number of studies suggest that the availability of public transportation (Dolnicar et al., 2010), its quality and level of integration with other transportation services (Bursa et al., 2024) may significantly increase the likelihood of choosing rail for a vacation trip. And this at a much lower cost than investing in heavy infrastructure to improve travel times, or subsidizing train tickets. Building on this work, in this study we look deeper into the preferences of travelers towards mobility-related attributes of vacation destination by confronting them with a best-worst scaling (BWS) exercise. The respondents were asked to select the best and worst attributes of a destination that would make them travel by train, from among a number of features such as bus frequency, mobility hub, sharing/pooling services, destination-specific mobile application, amenities offered at the hotel, but also various flavors of restrictive measures such as parking and car access policies. They also had to choose whether they would travel to this destination by rail, given the attribute profile presented. By means of logit models, we elicit individuals’ preferences towards the attributes. An additional question with binary choice further allows for market share analysis and to identify the minimum profile of attributes that are absolutely necessary for respondents to opt for rail. We take into account observed and unobserved heterogeneity in the study population to identify personal characteristics that make an individual more sensitive to selected attributes, and attempt to group them into clusters with common characteristics. The results allow us to formulate recommendations to tourist destinations on what investments, policies and operational changes they should adopt and what implications these will have for the modal share of rail in vacation travel.

ID: 3.12041

Understanding mobility patterns in the Spanish Pyrinees: a spatiotemporal analysis of ski resort areas and weather conditions

Antoni Domènech

Abstract/Description

Mountain regions with ski resorts experience significant seasonal fluctuations in human mobility, influenced by meteorological conditions and snow availability. This study examines mobility patterns in selected areas of the Spanish Pyrenees, focusing on the relationship between spatiotemporal travel behavior, weather variables, and ski resort conditions. Using mobility data from the Spanish Ministry of Transport and meteorological records from AEMET, this research analyzes hourly travel flows to and from key ski resort destinations over a full calendar year. The study integrates indicators such as temperature, precipitation, and snowfall depth to assess their impact on visitor numbers. Additionally, data on ski resort operations (e.g., open slopes and ski lift availability) are incorporated to explore how infrastructure accessibility influences mobility trends. Preliminary findings suggest that mobility patterns strongly correlate with snow availability, particularly in peak winter months. Variations in temperature and precipitation also appear to play a crucial role in travel decisions, affecting both short-term visits and longer stays. The study further highlights differences between weekdays and weekends, as well as the impact of extreme weather events on visitor flows. By combining geospatial mobility data with real-time meteorological and resort conditions, this research provides valuable insights into how environmental factors shape tourism dynamics in mountain regions. The findings contribute to a better understanding of sustainable tourism management, helping stakeholders in ski resort planning, transportation optimization, and climate adaptation strategies.

ID: 3.12748

Travel behavior of the eco-conscious outdoor community: is it sustainable?

Elena Lorenzoni

Abstract/Description

As the natural environment undergoes rapid changes due to anthropogenic climate change, nature enthusiasts – those most in contact with fragile ecosystems – are paradoxically significant contributors to travel emissions. This includes members of POW, an environmental organization representing the outdoor community. Sustainable mobility for outdoor recreation faces unique challenges, particularly in remote areas characterized by low population density, complex geographical conditions (such as mountainous regions), and inadequate public transport services. I conducted a survey analysis among European POW members, which included 134 respondents, as well as a focus group to explore POW members’ everyday mobility behavior for outdoor recreation. This mixed-methods approach examined the behavioral antecedents and other factors influencing this behavior. I employed a hierarchical regression analysis to understand the relationship between environmental attitudes, intention to reduce car use, and outdoor mobility behavior. While environmental attitudes prove to determine part of the variance in mobility behavior, intentions do not. I also examined mode choices and travel patterns of the POW community. I, later, delved into a comparative study between POW members from two case study areas – Norway and the Alpine part of Italy – to compare outdoor mobility behaviors and explore different barriers to sustainable outdoor mobility. The findings reveal a significant mismatch between POW members’ high environmental attitudes and their actual outdoor mobility behaviors. By understanding the attitude-behavior gap, as well as identifying potential differences based on gender, education level, country, and urban versus rural settings, this research aims to guide the development of effective actions and policies. Lowering the environmental impact from mobility of the outdoor community is essential to ensure future generations can continue to enjoy and protect the playground offered by natural and mountain areas.

ID: 3.12940

Assessing car dependency in mountain regions. The case study of a Catalan mid mountain area

Daniel Miravet Arnau
Gutiérrez, Aaron

Abstract/Description

Car dependency is a common feature of many mountain areas. The use of motorized private vehicles is associated with several problems: social exclusion, lack of accessibility to jobs and services affecting certain segments of population, congestion of roads and parking facilities at tourist spots and environmental externalities, and loss of attractiveness and competitivity. The present work drags data from the Daily Mobility Survey of the Camp de Tarragona, launched in 2020 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockout. Data collected provides detailed information about all journeys undertaken by respondents during the day before the interview. The number of valid questionnaires collected in those municipalities regarded as part of the mountain areas was 860, whereas the overall number was 9,228. Data collected comprised the main characteristics of the journeys: origin and destination, motivation, modal choice and time and duration, together with wide sociodemographic respondents’ information and their perceptions towards mobility. Results reveal, as expected, that modal split shares are highly dependent on the private vehicle in comparison to the rest of the surveyed region. A multinomial multilevel logistic regression is used to assess the determinants of modal choices while allowing us to capture the effect of unobserved heterogeneity at the municipality level. The empirical evidence confirms the strong correlation between residing in the mountain area and car dependency. At the same time, running separate models for the mountain municipalities and the rest of the surveyed areas unveils changes in the impacts of the sociodemographic variables on the probability of choosing the mode of transport. Results also signal time distance to central locations where jobs and services tend to concentrate as a critical aspect to take into account. These results pinpoint the need to design specific mobility policies addressed to mountain regions given the social and environmental consequences of car dependency.

ID: 3.12969

Effect of age, gender, and place of residence on daily mobility patterns in a Catalan mountain area

Aaron Gutiérrez
Miravet, Daniel

Abstract/Description

Research on determinants of daily mobility patterns has traditionally focused on highly densely populated areas. In contrast, research in this field centred in other sorts of territories has been scarce, and even more in mountain areas. This absence of research is mainly due to the lack of appropriate data. Using a suitable data set, we are able to study the main features that characterize the mobility of a mid-mountain area located in South Catalonia (Spain). Data from the Daily Mobility Survey of the Camp de Tarragona, conducted in 2020 before the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockout, have been used. The survey provides detailed information about all journeys undertaken during the day before the interview by the resident population. This information comprises the origin and destination of each journey, mode of transport, motivation, time and duration. The data source also contains wide sociodemographic information, as well as opinions regarding certain elements of mobility. 860 valid questionnaires were collected in those municipalities regarded as part of mountain areas. The aim of this study is to analyse the role of key sociodemographic variables, such as age and gender, in mobility patterns in these mountain areas. It also seeks to explore the role of the municipality of residence in this variability of behaviours based on age and gender. The hypothesis is that factors determined by different levels of accessibility interact differently depending on sociodemographic conditions of the population. The results obtained signal that the inhabitants of the study area are highly dependent on the motorized private vehicle, while the use of public transportation is marginal. They are obliged to travel relatively long distances to access certain jobs and services. Despite the existence of some municipalities that are capable of adopt a central role within the area, this capacity of attraction is limited, and journeys beyond the limits of the territory are frequent. One of the consequences of this situation is the potential exclusion of certain segments of the population who do not have the availability of private vehicles.

ID: 3.13344

Social-Economic And Environmental Impact of Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Railway Line:A Case Study of Maletha Village In Garhwal Region

Shashank Shukla

Abstract/Description

The inhabitants’ major source of income is agriculture. The railway is the largest single user of the country and rural development projects are one of the most important reasons behind it. The study concluded that the acquisition of agricultural land is the most important factor that affects the livelihoods of indigenous peoples in the area and undermines their source of income, However, due to the construction of the track, people do not have to move to new places that are a bit far from the residential area, but this leaves most of the villagers landless occupying a large part of their fertile land. Villagers’ opinions on the ongoing railway project are divided. There is no denying that the railroad has a good effect on villagers’ lives. But it also has additional detrimental effects that result in water contamination, land degradation, and many other problems.Agricultural land is an asset for the natives of rural areas of developing countries as it provides an economic and financial security to them).Indian Railways are the single largest user of land and rural developmental projects are one of the key reasons behind this. The study concluded that acquisition of agricultural land is the main driver which will impact the livelihood of natives of the area and causes a decline in their source of income. Although people need not to shift to new places due to rail line construction as the constructing project is somewhat distant from the residential locality but it leave the majority of villagers landless as it occupies a large portion of their fertile land. Displacing people from their agriculture, environmental losses, poor compensation at undervalued market price, etc. have often become the main recipe for growing dispute between the authorities and the affected people. Land for land policy should have been adopted by the government as it is a more manageable way which adds stability in their lives as land is the primary determinant of their livelihoods. Also, cash compensation is for the land owners, and not for the labourers, so it is a negative setback for the livelihood of wage workers also.

ID: 3.14058

Road infrastructure and economic development in mountain areas of lagging regions: the case of Aspromonte in Calabria, Italy.

Dario Antonino Musolino

Abstract/Description

This paper focuses on the road transport system of a mountain area of a lagging region: Aspromonte, in Calabria (Italy). Particularly, it focuses on the case of a new road infrastructure recently build and opened which connects Aspromonte with the city of Reggio Calabria and the Strait of Messina area (urban-rural linkage).
Aspromonte is a mountain area with a low level of economic development. Average income is lower than the provincial, regional and national average. Taxable income per capita in the Aspromonte municipalities in 2021 amounted to 7,900 euros, 21% lower than that of the metropolitan city of Reggio Calabria, 16% lower than that of Calabria, and almost half lower than the national one (Source: Istat). The density of business is 48 units per 1000 inhabitants, while in the metropolitan city it is 60, in Calabria 65 and in Italy 83.
The low level of economic development and the lack of job opportunities caused depopulation. Aspromonte has undergone a massive depopulation phenomenon since the end of the second world war. From 1951 to 2021 it lost about 50% of its population, going from about 120k to 60k inhabitants, due to outmigration to other areas of the region and the country.
Does a new road infrastructure have the potential to boost economic development in such mountain area? We will discuss this case, based on relevant empirical evidence.

FS 3.218: Communication in mountains

FS 3.220: Fostering sustainable and equitable food systems through agroecology: Opportunities and challenges for mountain regions

#IMC: September 14 - 18 2025

FS 3.219

Mobility in mountain regions

Details

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Scheduled

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Co-Conveners

Assigned to Synthesis Workshop

Thematic Focus

Keywords

Description

Submitted Abstracts

Abstract/Description

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