A framework for analysing spatial mobility in the green and digital transition: The MOBI-TWIN approach

Regional inequalities in Europe are closely linked to spatial mobility patterns that concentrate human capital and opportunities in metropolitan regions while accelerating decline elsewhere. The ongoing green and digital transitions introduce new drivers of regional attractiveness that may either reinforce or rebalance these patterns. This paper presents the MOBI-TWIN project, which reconceptualises mobility as a societal outcome of changing regional attractiveness under twin transition conditions. MOBI-TWIN introduces a new framework combining individual-level evidence on mobility intentions, values, and digital practices with regional-level indicators capturing economic structures, digital readiness, and environmental conditions across EU regions. Methodologically, the project adopts a multi-layer framework. At the individual level, it analyses how environmental values, and openness to digital work reshape mobility decisions beyond traditional socio-economic determinants. At the regional level, it develops a multidimensional Regional Attractiveness Index integrating traditional, digital, and green dimensions to capture regions’ adaptive capacity and exposure to transition risks. These components are embedded in a harmonised, multi-source dataset that supports comparative analysis and policy-relevant modelling. The results show mobility outcomes depend on regional adaptation, and MOBI-TWIN informs place-based policies for cohesion and socially just green and digital transitions across Europe today. Highlighting that mobility outcomes depend on regional adaptation to the green and digital transitions, MOBI-TWIN aims to inform place-based policies for cohesion and socially just twin transition across Europe.