Fitting together: Exploring different perspectives on transport and mobilities

Many contemporary transport and mobilities scholars acknowledge that, while transport is a utilitarian practice of getting from A to B, it is also much more than that. There has been significant growth in research investigating the symbolic, affective, embodied and habitual elements of transport practices. This diversification of research is relatively new and highly complex; and as such, work remains to be done in establishing how the different features that have been researched to date (including, but not limited to, the utilitarian) fit together.

This session aims to bring together applied research into transport practices. The goal of the session is to consider how the rapidly diversifying strands of transport geography and mobilities research can remain connected and complementary. Further, we seek to consider how the strands can, together, illuminate and present new solutions to address real world problems. We welcome papers that tackle transport practices from diverse angles, but especially those that consider the place of their own research within a wider field of perspectives on transport. The session aims to engage a wide range of papers to facilitate understandings and collaborations across different perspectives; as such we encourage participants to communicate in ways that will be accessible to a diverse but transport-savvy audience.

Paper topics might include (but are not limited to):

• The role of habit in daily transport practices
• Infrastructure as a driver of transport behaviours
• Embodiment and affect in active and passive travel
• Symbolism and identity in transport choices
• Advocacy and behaviour change initiatives

Format:

We envisage a session in which presenters briefly introduce their work and their key findings (or hypotheses for work in progress) followed by a round table discussion focussing on connections, complements, and possible future collaborations.

Abstract submission:

All conference presenters must register and submit an abstract using the conference website ( http://iag-nzgs2014.org). Abstracts must be submitted by 1 June 2014 and early bird registration for the conference closes 30 April. Submitters are asked to identify (and rank) up to three sessions that fit their abstract. Please also e-mail your abstract to Helen Fitt ( Helen.fitt@canterbury.ac.nz) if you intend to rank this session as your first choice.  Please don’t hesitate to contact the organisers if you have any queries about this session.