Does Gender Matter in Daily Urban Mobility? Exploring Travel Perceptions, Attitudes, and Behaviours

Abstract

Gender can determine mobility habits and patterns in everyday life. Yet, different mobility needs of men and women are often ignored in the urban transport systems analysis and planning. Different attitudes and perceptions can determine the transport mode choice as well as the basic characteristics of a person’s trip. Integrated transport and urban planning require taking into account these differences for reasons of inclusivity. This paper identifies gender differences in travel perceptions, attitudes and behaviours using inferential statistical analysis of questionnaire surveys contacted in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, and discusses the policy directions to enhance gender mobility equity. The results are crosschecked with international literature to explore the role of local culture in explaining gender gaps in urban mobility.