Societies are becoming increasingly networked, and cities are serving as hubs for advanced mobility systems. However, not everyone benefits equally from this development, and the urban mobility landscape shapes uneven geographies of opportunities. This PhD study explores the connectivity of urban neighbourhoods with different socioeconomic profiles through residents’ mobility capacity with a special focus on marginalised areas.

Neighbourhoods in the cities of Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark, are explored. They represent both high- and low-income areas. The residents' movements are primarily explored through a qualitative framework including interviews and focus groups. In addition, the study draws upon quantitative measures of mobility through surveys and mapping.

The PhD places itself within the field of spatial and mobility thinking. The spatial dimension draws attention to the urban geographies that shape residents’ everyday lives. Mobilities shape urban geographies, and the study draws on Sheller’s concept of mobility justice to encapsulate the multiple scales of which disparities of mobilities should be understood.

The thesis highlights two aspects that shape residents’ mobility: (i) the spatial configuration of the urban landscape, which may either enable or constrain movement, and (ii) the imagined landscape of neighbourhoods and mobilities, which may or may not align with residents’ experiences of connectivity. Through an examination of these aspects, the thesis illustrates that spatial mobility disparities exist between socioeconomically contrasting urban areas in Denmark. It can, however, be misleading to assume that neighbourhoods with a low socioeconomic profile will be characterised by poor urban connectivity. Residents' experiences of living in marginalised areas tend to mismatch the reputation of these areas as being disconnected. Hence, from a mobility perspective, urban connectivity depends on residents’ actual and perceived capacity for movement and whether they feel entitled to engage in society based on where they live.

Please email Nikolaj Grauslund Kristensen ngk@plan.aau.dk to get a copy of the thesis.