Fair Mobility
Fair Mobility is an EU-funded project that aims to transform mobility and accessibility frameworks in a sustainable and inclusive way, focusing on women and gender minorities. The project has developed and tested inclusive mobility tools to improve accessibility, equity of mobility and sense of safety in two pilos areas: Creil, France, and Ebensee, Austria.
With Fair Mobility, we employ a communication strategy rooted in standpoint epistemology, participatory methods, and counter-hegemonic storytelling to challenge dominant mobility paradigms. The project interrogates how systemic biases—such as car-centric planning, the marginalization of “mobility of care,” and the invisibility of intersectional needs—reproduce inequity in public space.
By centering the lived experiences of marginalized groups (e.g., women, caregivers, and gender minorities), the strategy reframes mobility as a site of ideological reproduction, where fear, exclusion, and normalization reinforce existing power structures. In turn, it provides a platform for alternative voices and ensures they’re incorporated as valid stakeholders in the planning process.
Stories on mobility - based on real accounts
“Stories on Mobility” is based on real life accounts of women and gender minorities on their experiences in navigating systemic mobility barriers, reflecting deeper power imbalances and inequities.
Grounded in real-world experiences, this video essay links mobility challenges to broader social justice issues, revealing their impact on economic opportunity and personal autonomy.
State of the art films
These films transforms the Fair Mobility State of the Art document’s critical
analysis into a series of short films that question dominant
mobility terms and definitions. The state of the art is a document that provides a detailed insight into the current state of mobility as related to gender inequalities, and justice.
These video essays use
narration and evocative imagery to offer audiences alternative
ways of understanding and conceptualizing mobility
Fear and Public Space
From the State of the Art document regarding the term: “Women’s personal fears limited their use of public space in the city and is rooted in the socio-sexual construction of space and the feeling of illegitimacy that women experience in public space: it is by transgressing spatial or temporal boundaries (travelling at night) that they expose themselves to the risk of violence (Pain, 1997). Women are therefore forced to conform to what is expected of them in the public space, on pain of being exposed to harassment or violence.” FairMobility aims to improve mobility frameworks for women and gender minorities in small towns and rural-urban areas, where accessibility issues are major. The main objective is to increase women’s empowerment: legitimacy, sense of safety and pleasure, when moving around the city.
The Cab Mom
“The car appears to be a mode of travel suited to the complex chains of travel and the numerous stops made by women – especially mothers – in their daily mobility (Miralles-Guasch et al., 2016). This is particularly the case for single mothers, who take advantage of the flexibility of the car to respond to the spatial and temporal complexity of their activity schedules (Cerda, 2023), even among women on low incomes (Blumenberg, 2004; Rosenbloom & Burns, 1994). Insofar as public transport offers are not wheelchair-friendly, the car becomes essential for the mobility of mothers whose children have a disability (Landby, 2019). The spread of driving among women has thus been accompanied by an increase in the number of journeys and distances required for domestic work (taking children to school, leisure activities, shopping, etc.). In this way, the automobile no longer represents a symbol of women’s emancipation, but rather the extension of domestic work to a space larger than the home (Demoli, 2014). The figures of the “cab mom” and chauffeuring highlight the constraints placed on driving mothers (Schwanen, 2007).”
The experience of movement
From the State of the Art document regarding the term:
“..when walking or cycling in the public space, or travelling by public transport, bodies are particularly visible. Those who deviate from the dominant cisgender, white, male and able-bodied norm are exposed to more violence. The experience of movement must therefore be understood in terms of power relations between people, according to gender, age, class or ethnicity. It is therefore important to look at mobility as a lived experience, which differs not only between social groups but also between residential contexts.”
Rural Youth Mobility - in their own words
In this exploratory film, we follow the youth of Ebensee as they guide us through their town, showing us the places they love, and those they’d rather avoid. Seeing Ebensee through their eyes reveals a fresh perspective on rural life and mobility: how young people experience public spaces, move around, and connect with their community. Their stories highlight both the charm and the challenges of growing up in a place where daily mobility often depends on distance, access, and opportunity. The film is part of our ongoing effort to understand how including unique perspectives can help shape fairer, accessible and more sustainable mobility.
Wait for the end, for a nice surprise.
Ebensee in motion
As part of European Mobility Week, Ebensee came alive with a series of activities aimed at activating public spaces and encouraging movement in the historic town center. The event combined playful experiments with awareness-raising exercises to highlight the needs of people with limited mobility, while also celebrating community, diversity, and shared space.
Organized by the Fair Mobility Ebensee partner Frauen*forum Salzkammergut, the event reflects months of participatory experimentation aimed at rethinking how streets and public spaces can serve people, not just cars.
While there is still work to do, the activities offered a glimpse of a future where walking, playing, and gathering take center stage in the town’s life.