Courage
Transformation of Mobility Spaces—Process, Actors and Design
Austria
How can we move from individual responsibility to systemic change regarding the transformation of mobility spaces while remaining democratic? How can we overcome the dominance of car dependencies created by decades of car culture? How can we create courageous coalitions that ensure the long lasting of citizen-led initiatives?
Public space is a mirror of society. Challenging dominance in public space, just as in society, is a legitimate democratic development. In a fragmented Europe, transformation has become a major challenge. And yet, is this not the very essence of our cities?
The book Courage explores acceleration and process optimization to strengthen active mobility and improve spatial quality. It shows that processes are neither singular nor linear. They demand tenacity and courage, but also creativity and a willingness to experiment. We argue for an alternative path to both Smart City techno‑utopias and reactionary tendencies. We propose an urbanism that recognizes changing conditions and interactions between inhabitants, space, ecology, and mobility systems.
Inclusive profiles distribute space fairly. Sustainable profiles offer quality places that support well‑being, climate, and urban ecology. Sobriety replaces profusion: reuse, energy frugality, traffic reduction. Such routines require acceptance and coalition-building. Because regressive policies move fast and brutally, resilience matters. This book offers courage: to change routines in production, management and use of public space, and to recognize projects, processes, decision makers, designers and courageous citizens who are driving transition.
Courage: Transformation of Mobility Spaces. Process, Actors, and Design by Aglaée Degros, Martin Berger, Eva Schwab, Sabine Bauer, Jonathan Fetka, Dominik Hölzl, Barbara Russo (eds.)
Join us for the book launch
We look forward to contributions from Filip Watteeuw from Ghent and Planners from Piazze Aperte in Milan, a panel discussion with representants from the civil society, research and public authorities. The event will be held as a bilingual session (German/English).
The book is structured around 12 European transformation projects. Each one analyzed for its actors, decisions, timelines, and spatial solutions, tracing the steps of implementation. Eight essays contextualize the projects, offering decision makers and city administrations practice oriented insights that frame the discourse on the transformation of mobility spaces.
Filip Watteeuw reflects on Ghent’s mobility transition, showing how bold policies like the Circulation Plan sparked strong emotions and political conflict. He argues that real change requires courage, quick tangible results, and above all detachment from personal career concerns—focusing on systemic transformation rather than popularity.
Barbara Russo and Eva Schwab propose to use windows of opportunity and temporary interventions to activate synergies, mobilize stakeholders, and test solutions in real conditions. Short-term experiments refine processes, build coalitions, and turn proven ideas into high-quality, permanent changes.
Sabine Bauer and Barbara Russo argue that pilot projects are key to testing and accelerating the transformation of mobility spaces—as vehicles for experimentation and learning that feed future planning and decisions. Their lesson: when pilots prove their value, they can scale into formal regulations, technical guidelines, and durable planning routines.
Jonathan Fetka distills findings from evaluations of street‑space transformations: despite recurring fears of economic harm and traffic chaos, most well‑regarded projects show largely positive impacts. He summarizes measured effects and weighs how far these results transfer to other contexts, setting realistic expectations for transformation.
Conversation with Stefan Bendiks and Martin Berger on Basics of designing infrastructure to enhance active mobility
Johannes Bernsteiner analysis the changing narratives and discourses underlying the current mobility transition in Paris tied to the establishment of the 15-minute city.
Dominik Hölzl flags green gentrification as side effect of the mobility transition: upgrades to active mobility and public space can spur displacement. He maps the effects and outlines countermeasures—so transformations remain sustainable.
Mimi Sheller starts from the observation that mobility is both spatial and political. The essay presents mobility commons thinking as a way to conceptualizing transitions that are truly transformative and highlight the possibility of alternative politics to challenge dominant narratives of meaning of mobility in society.
Photoessay by Chistopher Mavrič
