From Lockdown to Long-Term: An Analysis of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Mobility Planning Practices in Denmark
Authors
Hansen, Anton Norup Grunnet ; Nikolajsen, Mathias Lyng ; Deane, Oliver Patrick
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-06-12
Pages
138
Abstract
Specialet undersøger, hvordan COVID-19-pandemien har påvirket mobilitetsplanlægning i Danmark på længere sigt. Undersøgelsen samler tre typer viden: kvalitative interviews med kommunale og offentlige trafikplanlæggere, nationale rejsedata og et overblik over eksisterende forskning. Den anvender en kombineret teoretisk ramme: Multi-Level Perspective (en tilgang, der forbinder ændringer i hverdagsadfærd med skift i større systemer og politikker) og Social Practice-tilgange (der ser på daglige rutiner som pendling). Med tematisk og komparativ analyse samt en bibliometrisk analyse (mønstre i publikationer) undersøges, om de midlertidige tiltag under krisen har ført til varige ændringer i både rejsevaner og planlægning. Resultaterne viser tydelige skift: mere hjemmearbejde, større fokus på levende bymiljøer og hurtigere udbredelse af nye mobilitetsløsninger som micromobilitet, efterspørgselsstyret kollektiv trafik og delebiler. Samlet tyder det på, at pandemien fungerede som en katalysator, der påvirkede både individuelle vaner og langsigtede strategier i urban mobilitetsplanlægning.
This thesis examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced mobility planning in Denmark over the long term. It brings together three types of evidence: qualitative interviews with municipal and public transport planners, national travel data, and an overview of existing research. The study uses a combined theoretical lens: the Multi-Level Perspective (a way to link changes in everyday behavior to shifts in wider systems and policies) and Social Practice approaches (which focus on daily routines such as commuting). Using thematic and comparative analyses, together with a bibliometric analysis (patterns in publications), it asks whether the temporary measures introduced during the crisis have led to lasting changes in both travel behavior and planning. The findings show clear shifts: more remote work, greater attention to liveable urban environments, and faster adoption of new mobility solutions such as micromobility, demand-responsive transport, and car sharing. Overall, the pandemic appears to have acted as a catalyst, affecting both individual habits and long-term strategies in urban mobility planning.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Documents