MOBI-HEALTH: Mobility, Health and Inclusive Urban Epidemic Resilience

MOBI-HEALTH focuses on the effects of the different phases of the pandemic on mobility, digitalization and health, and how the effects affect different areas and different parts of the population. The goal is to obtain knowledge that can provide increased resilience to epidemics within the framework of an inclusive and sustainable city and urban development. Different methods have been used to shed light on the issue. The project has conducted several rounds of surveys (2020, 2021, 2022) and in-depth interviews (2020, 2022) among residents of greater Oslo and Luxembourg, as well as in-depth interviews with planners in Oslo and Bergen (2021, 2023/2024) about pandemic experiences and impact on urban planning. We have also analyzed historical mobile data for the period 2019-2023. Results show that the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed daily mobility and the use of digital alternatives. Some changes have positive environmental and health implications. For example, more cycling and walking, or long-distance travel that was replaced by digital meetings. Other changes may have negative effects, such as avoidance or fear of taking public transport or increased private car use. We explore which of the changed mobility and digitalization patterns are most likely to persist and which will revert to previous patterns. The project also shows that the pandemic has affected perceived accessibility and housing preferences. Another element that emerges from the research is how the pandemic and changes in mobility affect mental health and trust in society. It is also important to point out that the general trends hide large differences between different social groups and geographical areas. For example, we found that the pandemic is hitting women harder than men, for example when it comes to perceived fear and stress in public transport. An important task for policy and planning in urban areas is to prevent this and any future epidemics from hitting people disproportionately and to prevent existing inequalities from being reinforced by this type of epidemic, as well as to uphold existing sustainability goals.