Insufficient access to transport is an important contributing factor to transport related social exclusion and segregation. Marginalized groups are seldom included in public transport research, and there is a lack of in-depth, qualitative studies of how these groups use the public transport system and how their mobility practices are intertwined with individual experiences and life situations.

The aim of this project is to study mobility strategies among groups who lives in Swedish urban areas that are defined as socially deprived and where they are at risk of becoming marginalized, with a specific focus on perceptions and use of public transport. Further, the project will provide planners with knowledge to inform social accessibility in metropolitan areas. Research questions are: (1) What are the mobility strategies among marginalized people? (2) What barriers and resources are marginalized people experiencing in the public transport system? (3) Based on these findings, how can policies be informed and developed to integrate equity and social accessibility into public transport planning on the national, regional and local levels?

The research project will apply a mixed-method approach, consisting of in-depth interviews, focus groups, time-geographic diaries, auto-photography, and interdisciplinary workshops with stakeholders. Results include proposals for how public transport can be tailored to the needs of marginalized groups and policy recommendations for how public transport planning can reduce the risk of transport related social exclusion and segregation. The project is a co-production with local and regional authorities.