"Mobility poverty in Rotterdam. A thesis investigating how environmental characteristics, individual perceptions, and personal characteristics influence the experience of mobility poverty among job-seeking participants in Rotterdam’s e-bike programme in 2021"
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2026-03-26
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en
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This study explores “mobility poverty” among Rotterdam’s unemployed job-seekers given e-bikes, highlighting how many still struggle to travel affordably. It finds that limited transit options, high costs, and a sense of being “stuck” in peripheral neighbourhoods reinforce social isolation, suggesting that improving mobility requires not only better transport infrastructure but also stronger community support.
In Rotterdam, this research explores how unemployment and mobility intersect among its residents. The study follows ten people using a ebike programme aimed at job-seekers. It finds that these residents, often living in poorer districts, spend much of their limited budget simply trying to get around. Even with bikes, many feel trapped by
the city’s layout, with fewer jobs and buses in the outskirts, leaving them cut off. Safety fears and discrimination also narrow their world.
E-bikes helped some but couldn’t fix the deeper issues of high travel costs and distance. Many described feeling socially stuck, undermining their confidence and future plans. In their own words, mobility poverty is as much a mental burden as a financial one: it makes them feel that new opportunities were out of reach. The study concludes that breaking these barriers requires more than better transport alone. It calls for both improved infrastructure and supportive social policies, to ensure that access to mobility truly expands people’s horizons and sense of possibility. These stories highlight mobility as a matter of social justice: without addressing dignity and economic needs, adding bike lanes or faster buses will not ensure that everyone can fully participate in city life.
• Thesis title: Mobility poverty in Rotterdam – explores how environmental factors, perceptions, and personal traits shape mobility poverty among job-seekers in a 2021 e-bike programme.
• Research question: How do individual perceptions, personal characteristics, and environmental factors shape mobility poverty among job-seekers in Rotterdam’s 2021 e-bike programme?
• Methods: Exploratory qualitative case study. Semi-structured interviews with 10 unemployed e-bike programme participants (Rotterdam, 2021), and analysis of relevant urban mobility data.
• Key findings: Participants (mainly in outer districts) spent much of their limited budgets on commuting and felt ‘stuck’ by the city’s layout. Safety concerns and discrimination further limited their travel. The e-bike programme improved mobility for some but did not eliminate high costs or distance barriers.
• Conclusions/Implications: Mobility poverty is as much a social issue as a practical one. Effective solutions must combine better infrastructure (more transport access) with targeted social support to ensure fair access and empowerment for all residents.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen