Evaluating future mobility: back to the future in the UK policy?

Increasing urbanisation in the world economy in the last 50 years has produced a number of profound challenges for the organisation and management of economy and society. In recent years these challenges have been compounded by climate changes geo-political risk, uncertainty and consequent conflicts; disease pandemics; and, rising income and territorial inequalities, all of which have had profound consequences for mobility. For many policy makers and practitioners technological (mainly digital) solutions are promoted to address individual issues for what is a systemic problem. The UK appears to be a particular exemplar of this approach whose mainstream view of transport technologies is a backward view of the future. In contrast, the EC appears to be based upon a more socio-technical transition in which smart urban mobility within multi-modal systems, appears more suitable for the current and future challenges of mobility. This paper explores these issues in order to stimulate debate about future research in this crucial area of the social sciences.