The Mobility Lab of the University of Tartu, in collaboration with the University of Tartu Research Group of Physical Activity for Health, conducted the mobility study to support the organisation of sustainable mobility at the university.
The study results will provide a basis for formulating environmental principles related to movement and drafting a mobility plan at the university. The study consists of a survey involving the university community, an analysis of secondary data characterizing movement, and discussions with staff members of various university units.
What was studied?
The mobility study focused on the mobility of university staff and students related to their work and studies across Estonia. The University of Tartu employs over 4,000 people and has more than 14,000 students. Hence, a significant number of people in the Estonian context regularly have to choose how to move between university buildings: whether to walk, ride a bicycle, use public transportation, or prefer a car.
The university has major centres in five Estonian cities—Tartu, Viljandi, Pärnu, Narva, and Tallinn—but also sees movement between Tõravere and other research centres. The mobility study also broadly considered remote work, business trips, the use of university-owned parking lots, the need for movement as identified by class schedules, and the use of bike-sharing bicycles in bike racks near university buildings.
At an individual level, we often talk about moving from one place to another and the modes of transportation used for this. However, we are talking about mobility when looking at people’s movement more broadly, including their opportunities to move, the transport infrastructure, factors that facilitate or hinder movement, and the volume of movement. Therefore, this study is called the University of Tartu Mobility Study.
The study results provide the university with evidence-based information to set goals related to movement and help create better action recommendations that the university can use in drafting and implementing its mobility plan.
One of the practical outputs of the survey was the launch of a students’ bike route between university campuses, prepared in collaboration with the Rector’s Strategy Office, the Mobility Lab, the Tartu City Government, and the Tartu Cyclists’ Association.
Map by Martin Haamer
The mobility study was conducted by the University of Tartu Mobility Lab in collaboration with the University of Tartu Research Group of Physical Activity for Health.
Results
Publications
- Poom, A., Jalonen, E., Korp, L. (2024). Tartu Ülikooli tudengid ja töötajad eelistavad kestlikke liikumisviise. Liikumine ja Sport, 27: 46-51, https://media.voog.com/0000/0041/2571/files/LIIKUMINE-ja-SPORT_27_2024_veebi_spreads.pdf
- Poom, A. Jalonen, E. A., Haamer, M., Korp, L., Aasa, A., Tominga, A. (2024). Tartu Ülikooli liikuvusuuring. Publicationes Instituti Geographici Universitatis Tartuensis 114. Uurimusi eestikeelse geograafia 105. aastapäeval, Toim. Taavi Pae, Jaan Pärn, lk 135-152
Public presentations and media coverage
- Haamer, M., Poom, A., Aasa, A. (2024) Student movement flows between university campuses in Tartu based on individual timetables. Mobile Tartu Conference 2024, 14.06.2024.
- Poom, A., Jalonen, E., Haamer, M., Aasa, A., Tominga, A., Korp, L. (2024) University of Tartu mobility survey. Department of Geography seminar, University of Tartu, 20.03.2024.
- Poom, A., Jalonen, E., Haamer, M., Aasa, A., Tominga, A., Korp, L. (2024) University of Tartu mobility survey. City Form Lab research seminar, MIT, 21.02.2024.
- Project name: University of Tartu Mobility Survey
- Duration: 2023-2024
- Principal Investigator at the Mobility Lab: Age Poom
- Team members at the Mobility Lab: Elise Jalonen, Anto Aasa, Martin Haamer, Ago Tominga, Jürgen Öövel, Arvi Kiik
- Collaboration partners in Estonia: University of Tartu Research Group of Physical Activity for Health
- Project webpage: https://ut.ee/et/liikuvusuuring