Active mobility

Chair:
Prof. Ursula Scholl-Grissemann 

Team:
Alexandra Baier, PhD
Charlotte Eggert, MSc
Elisabeth Happ, MMMag, PhD
Leonie Niemuth, MSc
David Reitmair, MSc

Focus

  • Social science-based research into active mobility at the intersection of health, the economy, the environment/climate, tourism and society
  • Development of transferable, evidence-based measures to promote active, climate-friendly and health-promoting mobility
  • Thematic areas:
    • Communication & behavioural economics (e.g. nudging, motivations, barriers and enabling conditions for active mobility)
    • Health, sport and physical activity (current focus: mobility among children and young people)
    • Tourism and the (service) sector (e.g. the last mile, active mobility as an experience)

Prevention and health considerations

  • Active mobility as a driver of health, well-being and quality of life
  • Identification and testing of effective measures (nudging, incentive schemes, target-group-specific communication) to reduce barriers and behavioural inertia

  • Developing health-promoting mobility cultures in various settings (schools, local communities, tourism)

A life-course perspective

  • A particular focus on children and young people (active travel to and from school and everyday mobility, family-centred interventions), with applicability to other age groups
  • Taking into account individual, social and structural factors in everyday life and leisure, as well as in urban and rural areas
  • Inclusion of tourists as a user group; derivation of generic measures for different life stages and social contexts

Methods

  • Multi-method: qualitative and quantitative approaches
  • Laboratory and field experiments
  • Behavioural economics interventions (nudging, incentives, communication)
  • Use of VR, eye-tracking and emotion measurement in the laboratory for empirical behavioural research
  • Use of wearables and app-based data collection on physical activity and health to monitor and evaluate interventions
  • Analysis of decision-making behaviour and target-group-specific mobility practices
  • Target-group-specific, research-based measures

Externally funded projects

Behavioural Economics for Active Transport BEAT (Funding title: Zero Emission Mobility plus 2025)
The BEAT project investigates how behavioural economics interventions can encourage people who travel a significant distance to work to switch from private motorised transport to sustainable forms of mobility such as public transport and active mobility. The focus is on developing and evaluating low-threshold measures that measurably influence attitudes, decision-making processes and actual mobility routines.

Selected publications

Publications:

  • Niemuth, L., Pachucki, C., Schobersberger, W., & Happ, E. (2026). The future of sustainable tourism mobility: The role of digital tools for Generations Y and Z. Marketing Review St. Gallen, (2), 58.

Academic conferences:

  • Niemuth, L.; Happ, E.; Scholl-Grissemann, U. (26 September 2025): On-Site Mobility in Alpine Tourism: Motivations, Opportunities and Abilities for Sustainable Transport Choices in Tyrol. [Conference presentation], Caring for the City, Vienna.
  • Niemuth, L. (19 February 2026): Factors Shaping the (Non-)Use of Active On-Site Mobility in Alpine Tourism: A Virtual Reality Study. [Conference presentation], 15th Innsbruck Symposium on Sports Economics and Management, Innsbruck
  • Niemuth, L. (26 March 2026): Active On-Site Mobility Behaviour in Alpine-Urban Tourism: Understanding Drivers and Barriers from a Virtual Reality-Based Study. [Conference presentation], EUniverCities Network, Innsbruck Meeting, Moving forward: Universities and Cities Shaping Health and Social Cohesion through Sport, Innsbruck
  • Happ, E., Schöttl, S., Scholl-Grissemann, U., Hofmann, V. (September 2025). On-Site Active Mobility: A Green Path to Leisure and Sports Facilities [Conference presentation], European Association for Sport Management, Budapest.

Third Mission:

  • Happ, E. (26 March 2026). Physical activity is more than just sport — insights from science [Keynote]. Tyrol Sports Summit 2026, St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria. https://sportgipfel.tirol/at/programm/2026.php
  • Hachleitner, B. (2026). The active path to health. VCÖ – Mobility with a Future. https://vcoe.at/news/details/der-aktive-weg-zur-gesundheit (Interview)
Nach oben scrollen