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Car dependency leads to a variety of societal problems and challenges, not least environmental ones. It is thus not only relevant but also critical to better understand the determinants of car ownership and use. Among those contributing factors, the role of subjective factors is often acknowledged to be important, yet not well understood. We conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding the effect of such motives on car ownership and usage. Based on the commonalities found in the reviewed articles, we identify and describe the five most relevant subjective factors in detail: (i) instrumental motives and autonomy, (ii) affective motives, (iii) symbolic motives, (iv) social norms, and (v) environmental motives. We synthesise these findings in a car ownership/use motives model, discuss implications for public policy and outline directions for future research.

The success of the first Metrocable line in Medellín (2004) as a feeder for the Metro system served as a turning point in considering the use of aerial cable cars (ACC) as a mode of public transport in urban settlements. In the following years, 33 ACC transit lines were inaugurated in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the majority after 2010. This review has several aims: (i) to understand the differences in aerial cableway transit (ACT) technologies; (ii) to describe the characteristics of the ACC service area for the most critical case studies in LAC and identify their role in the public transport system; and (iii) to find the essential societal benefits presented by ACC. We will follow two complementary approaches. First, the review concentrates on the most recent technological advances. Second, 24 reports were obtained from scientific databases, complemented by another 18 found using the “snowball” method. Our findings show that detachable gondolas, called aerial cable cars in the transport literature, are the most used technology as a transit mode. Furthermore, the ACC initially served as a feeder mode, serving low-income communities on hillside terrains. However, some cases are restructuring the public transport system and building a comprehensive network utilising the ACC. The empirical evidence shows that complementary projects are essential to impact less-frequent ACC users and people in the neighbourhood. Moreover, travel time and cost reductions increase accessibility and reduce inequalities, especially in the service area. Participatory budgeting may also prompt community engagement with the project, especially among low-income residents. Considering integration between transport modes (and within transit modes) in the project's early stages will also increase ridership and users’ accessibility. Future research should focus on the travel behaviour and societal impacts of ACC integrated into the structure of the public transport systems.

This thesis studies the potential of free-floating car sharing (FFCS) to supplement public transport in Turin, a city with a well-developed transit system and substantial car sharing network. The integration of FFCS with public transportation can enhance connectivity, particularly for first- and last-mile solutions, thereby improving the overall efficiency and accessibility of the transit system. Although existing research indicates a potential complementarity between car sharing and public transport, further detailed research is required to explore more specifically when and where car sharing is able to complement public transportation. This study uses the proximity of car sharing trip start and destination points to public transport stations in order to examine the potential for complementarity between the two services. A temporal and spatial analysis, employing k-means clustering, revealed a specific potential complementarity between FFCS and public transport in Turin in the early morning. This is evidenced by the FFCS service connecting the outskirts of Turin with the city centre when public transport is limited in availability. The analysis of Turin’s specific dynamics can provide valuable insights to other cities aiming for similar integration between car sharing and public transport, contributing to more sustainable urban mobility.

This thesis examines the relationship between public transit accessibility and health amenities within the framework of Utrecht's '10-minute city' vision. The study focuses on five neighborhoods: Wittevrouwen, Leidsche Rijn-Centrum, Lombok-Oost, Vechtzoom-Zuid, and Kanaleneiland-Noord. The research aims to determine how effectively the current public transportation system supports the 10-minute city goals, specifically in terms of access to health amenities and public transport. Using a combination of distance-based and gravity-based measures, the study maps accessibility via public transit and walking, providing a comprehensive analysis of the transit network's effectiveness. The findings reveal significant variability in accessibility across different neighborhoods, with Wittevrouwen and Leidsche Rijn-Centrum showing higher accessibility scores due to more frequent and reliable public transit services. In contrast, Vechtzoom-Zuid exhibits considerable internal variability, with some areas showing high accessibility and others much lower, indicating a dependence on specific locations within the neighborhood. Kanaleneiland-Noord generally exhibits lower accessibility, highlighting the need for targeted improvements in these areas. Achieving the vision of a 10-minute city is highly dependent on which indicators, amenities, and services fall under this term. The variability in definitions and categories used in different studies underscores the importance of context-specific criteria and priorities set by each municipality. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the spatial distribution of healthcare services and underscores the importance of public transport in achieving the 10-minute city vision. It highlights areas where improvements in public transport infrastructure and service quality can significantly enhance healthcare accessibility, supporting Utrecht's goal of creating a more inclusive, sustainable, and connected urban environment.

Over the last few years, the percentage of vacant shops has fluctuated significantly in the Netherlands. After COVID-19, the number of vacant shops seemed to decrease for an extended period, but since the first quarter of 2024, it has started to rise again. To gain a better understanding of how vacancy occurs, this thesis analyzes the association between municipal characteristics and retail vacancy rates in the Netherlands. Data from Colliers and the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is used to obtain information on retail vacancies and municipal characteristics. A Panel Generalized Linear Model (PGLM) is conducted with information from 2015 to 2022, with frictional, long-term, and structural retail vacancy rates as the dependent variables. The results of the model show that higher incomes and urban areas are positively associated with frictional vacancy, while higher population density correlates positively with long-term vacancy. Structural vacancy is negatively associated with higher income and population density.

This research article aims to contribute to the field of study of masculinities by revealing the ways in which violence and the mandates of hegemonic masculinity are articulated within the framework of a social protest event: the national strike that occurred in Colombia in the year 2021. Employing the method of documentary analysis, content review and analysis was conducted, considering the following documents: the report delivered by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to the Colombian State and four reports delivered to this commission by the Protection of Citizens' Rights Entity and non-governmental human and feminist rights. Documentary review reveals two types of violence that occurred during this protest: (a) abuse of power by state military forces through arbitrary arrests, physical violence, use of lethal and non-lethal weapons, disappearances, murder, and recruitment; and (b) gender-based violence, deployed especially against women and people with diverse sexual identities or orientations, especially those who embody feminized bodies. It is found that in this protest scenario, a war-like logic unfolds, around which the manifestation of attributes such as: strength, power, resistance, capacity for control and dominance is exacerbated, which together with the reaffirmation of heterosexuality ratify compliance of the hegemonic mandate of masculinity. In addition to being traversed by this mandate, several of the manifestations analyzed reflect a strong colonial imprint, which suggests the need to incorporate these categories in the analysis of the manifestations of violence that structure Colombian daily life., El presente artículo de investigación pretende aportar al campo de estudio de las masculinidades, develando los modos como se articulan la violencia y los mandatos de masculinidad hegemónica en el marco de un acontecimiento de protesta social: el paro nacional ocurrido en Colombia en el año 2021. Mediante el método del análisis documental, se realizó la revisión y análisis de contenido del informe entregado por la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos al Estado Colombiano (2021) y de cuatro informes entregados a esta comisión por la Defensoría del Pueblo y organizaciones no gubernamentales de derechos humanos, populares y feministas. La revisión documental permite destacar dos tipos de violencia durante esta protesta: (a) abuso de poder por parte de las Fuerzas Militares del Estado, mediante detenciones arbitrarias, violencia física, uso de armas letales y no letales, desapariciones y asesinato; y (b) violencias basadas en género, desplegadas principalmente en contra de mujeres y personas con identidades u orientaciones sexuales diversas, especialmente quienes encarnan cuerpos feminizados. Se concluye que en este escenario de protesta se despliega una lógica guerrerista, en torno a la cual se exacerba la manifestación de ciertos atributos: fuerza, potencia, resistencia, capacidad de control y dominio. Junto con la reafirmación de la heterosexualidad, estos ratifican el cumplimiento del mandato de masculinidad hegemónico. Además de estar atravesadas por este mandato, varias de las manifestaciones analizadas reflejan una fuerte impronta colonial, lo que sugiere la necesidad de incorporar estas categorías en el análisis de las manifestaciones de violencia que estructuran la cotidianidad colombiana.