Lifestyles, choice of housing location and daily mobility: the lifestyle approach in the context of spatial mobility and planning

Abstract

Today, spatial research and planning is confronted with complex frame conditions that have substantially changed in the past decades. Thus, a comprehensive social change is initiated, giving new room for individual development, but on the other hand making new decisions necessary (cue: individualisation). At the same time, settlement structures and time-regimes – essential conditions for spatial mobility – have developed dynamically (cues: decentralisation, flexibilisation). Hitherto however, research and planning show serious methodological problems in the consideration of the stated changes. The explanation patterns of existing approaches for spatial mobility are mainly based upon spatial and individual restrictions. Neither the increasing degrees of freedom nor the subjective rationales behind mobility decisions are adequately considered. The paper presents the conceptual framework, methods and preliminary results of the interdisciplinary research project “StadtLeben”. The central research question focuses on the interrelation between social structures (lifestyles, milieus), space-time-structures, housing and choice of housing location, and daily mobility. The proposed research approach shall help to develop target group-oriented and efficient planning and design strategies, which are tested in a workshop in an exemplary study area in Cologne. Together with planning practitioners, action-oriented knowledge as well as suggestions for planning methods (participation, processes, competence) shall be derived.