i-MOBYL

The i-MOBYL project aims to identify, co-create, and implement inclusive, evidence-based, and acceptable design and policy interventions that empower young adolescents (YA), aged 11-15, across diverse European contexts to engage in out-of-home activities using active and multimodal travel, within the framework of 15-minute cities (15mC) and focusing on equity and health outcomes. i-MOBYL advances the state of the art by addressing key scientific and societal gaps: the underrepresentation of YA and lack of community engagement in mobility planning; the absence of co-created operationalized visions; limited empirical evidence on YA activity patterns and travel behavior; a lack of tailored, validated interventions grounded in behaviour change theory; limited implementation due to weak local authority involvement and high resource demands; insufficient insight into intervention performance; and absent mechanisms to scale YA-focused mobility planning to different stakeholders. Following a strategic planning cycle through seven interlinked work packages across five countries, i-MOBYL will deliver: co-created visions with YA, operationalized into KPIs (WP2); a multinational empirical evidence base detailing YA’s full range of activity and mobility patterns across diverse urban settings (WP3); validated, co-designed interventions promoting YA’s active and multimodal travel grounded in behavior change theory (WP4); replicable guidelines for community engagement and intervention delivery (WP5); a co-created framework to assess interventions regarding acceptability, practicability, effectiveness, affordability, side-effects, equity (APEASE criteria) and anticipated health outcomes (WP6); and tailored knowledge transfer material disseminated via the DUT knowledge hub, established European networks, and professional and academic outlets (WP7). All outputs are developed with active involvement from YAs of diverse in the five partner cities. These include: i) the evidence base cities Eindhoven (NL) and Basel (CH) which will contribute to building the empirical foundation on YA activity and mobility patterns, with YA participating through schools and youth centres; and ii) the Living Labs (LLs) Paris (FR), Guildford (UK), and Salzburg (AT), which will serve as transdisciplinary test beds for intervention co-design and implementing with YA, SMEs, urban authorities and civil society actors. i-MOBYL employs a mixed-methods, interdisciplinary, and participatory approach, integrating transport studies, urban planning and design, behavioral science, co-design and public health. Drawing on social-ecological and COM-B theoretical models, i-MOBYL applies systems-thinking to analyse how YA’s physical, social, and digital environments shape their mobility choices. While taking a systemic perspective, i-MOBYL acts locally, with bottom-up community engagement as a key driver of behavior change. Equity is emphasized by focusing on the distinct needs of YA, an underrepresented group in urban mobility planning, and applying an intersectional lens that accounts for gender, socio-economic, and cultural dimensions. The project benefits from the complementary research strengths of academic partners conducting cutting-edge research across disciplines. Community engagement, including strong partnerships with local stakeholders in the three LLs, will directly support research activities, amplify local impact, and enable cross-sectoral and cross-national knowledge transfer. i-MOBYL’s results will be highly usable as it directly aligns with societal needs, reflects the diversity of YA and urban contexts, and spans the full innovation pipeline—from academic research to civil society, public authorities, and SMEs. By advancing the scientific state of the art and translating findings into actionable strategies, i-MOBYL aims to inspire lasting behavior change towards sustainable travel, starting with Europe’s young adolescents.