Contact person
Maria Schnurr
Senior forskare
Contact MariaWhereas mobility solutions in urban areas and urban areas should contribute to efficiency and various environmental and climate goals, enormous accessibility gains can added in rural areas. The countryside is largely inaccessible without a car. However, it is the great local commitment that enables innovative, well-rooted solutions in the country.
Sweden's countryside is multifaceted. It is partly depopulated and urbanized. Those who chose the city and those who have lived in the same house for generations live here. Here there is the endless dirt road through the forest, hipster breweries and newly established co-working spaces. There are opportunities here for those who work remotely or want to escape the stress of the big city, but also challenges when climate change affects agriculture and tourism.
At the same time, there are areas such as in Norrland with new large industrial establishments that experience fast and dynamic development - but also require strategic collaborations to contribute to sustainable development that benefits everyone.
We work with the local commitment to develop sustainable mobility solutions based on the unique context. We believe that it is better to start on a small scale based on concrete needs and resources instead of copying what (doesn't) work in the cities. At the same time, the social cohesion of the countryside can also be what makes it work even better than in the city, for example when it comes to sharing services that require trust among users.
Whether a sharing service is needed around the village's common minibus, a collection hub at the local trader for the village's business operations, new technology such as drones and autonomous vehicles, or something entirely different – it depends on what the municipality's needs and goals are. Together, we examine the conditions, develop solutions with the actors on site and connect RISE's extensive competences in mobility and transport.
RISE has developed a digital toolbox (in Swedish only) that is a support for municipalities that want to identify and test sustainable mobility solutions for local mobility needs. The toolbox contains a well-developed process that rural municipalities can use to map the mobility needs of different groups and identify the transport services and other mobility solutions that can best meet the needs based on the local conditions and be offered over time.
In the RORILAND project, mobility solutions linked to neighborhood offices in the countryside of Västra Götaland are investigated and tested.