Commuting in a crisis: A case study of mobility behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malmö, Sweden

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted people’s behavior on many levels, one of which is the frequency of commuting and the mode of transportation (MOT) used for it. This case study analyzes mobility behavior during the pandemic of employees commuting to and in Malmö, Sweden, and its predicting factors. A quantitative online survey (n=94) and qualitative semi-structured interviews (n=8) were conducted based on an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The results of descriptive statistics, regression analyses, and a thematic analysis suggest that employees commuted less and avoided public transportation. The variable habit strength seems best at predicting MOT choice. The influence of pandemic and environmental awareness on MOT choice cannot be observed clearly. This thesis provides insight into the effects of the pandemic on commuting in Malmö and its implications for the sustainability aims of the municipality. The discussion explains and places the results in the Swedish context.