University Towns and the Multi-Layer Transport Model: Excavating the Connections Between Academic Ethos and Transport Problems

Mobility has a profound effect on the way people live and their understanding of the world. Transport planners therefore need a clear understanding of the ways in which mobility patterns are linked to issues such as perception of self, power, and culture. Consequently, the failures of the transport sector must be studied not in isolation but as manifestations of complex social and institutional problems. An innovative theoretical and practical methodology, here termed the “multi-layer transport model”, is suggested as a means of achieving this deeper level of understanding. Its utility is demonstrated via application to a case study at the University of Coimbra in Portugal, which illustrates how the transport problems experienced in different areas of this town are connected to the culture of its ancient university.