New transportation actors : An analysis of the potential for Stockholm’s workplaces to contribute to mobility management

Abstract: This research in the field of transport sociology explores how workplaces in Stockholm can become actors in managing transport demand and through soft measures contribute to an increase of sustainable and active commuting to work and short-distance travel on work purposes. It uses a mixed-method approach consisting of a review of official documents, publications and initiatives, a web-survey and semi-structured interviews with representatives of Stockholm’s public and private workplaces. The study uncovers the current role of workplaces in mobility management policies of Stockholm, analyzes internal and external factors that influence the likelihood of workplaces to encourage sustainable and active commute and travel to meetings within the city among their employees and provides recommendations on how workplaces engagement can be increased. Being occasionally mentioned in the policy documents or invited to take part in climate or cycling-focused initiatives, workplaces in Stockholm are now at different stages in their willingness to have travel policies and participate in on-site mobility management. Internal and external factors influence the motivation of public and private, larger and smaller workplaces differently. With further research, comprehensive communication, questioning the status quo and establishing a constant dialogue between the city and workplaces there is a big potential to involve workplaces as new actors into various existing initiatives.