Transitions through Experimentation: Experts’ insights on micromobility integration in urban planning

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated changes in urban mobility, prompting cities to test new uses of streets and public space. This paper examines how micromobility and urban experimentation intersect, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 experts in urban planning and mobility across seven countries. Findings show that experimentation, through both top-down pop-up projects and bottom-up tactical urbanism, offers a flexible pathway to integrate micromobility into planning. Yet, challenges remain around the durability of temporary measures, political risk, and limited administrative capacity. The study identifies key conditions for success: clear goals, public participation beyond consultation, and robust monitoring frameworks. By systematizing expert insights, the paper contributes a conceptual foundation for embedding experimentation into formal planning processes, helping policymakers and planners advance more adaptive and inclusive urban mobility systems.