In her dissertation, LUT Business School's Junior Researcher Natalia Lyly examines modern mobility systems and how to better organise and manage the sustainability transition in urban mobility.
“A successful sustainability transition requires both suitable structures and commitment to sustainable modes of mobility. Regulation and funding should steer mobility towards sustainable alternatives and in the meantime make private cars less appealing. Solutions need to be flexible enough to be equitable and to work in a variety of locations,” Lyly emphasises.
To promote sustainable mobility, experts frequently propose denser urban planning and a lifestyle centred on walking, cycling, and public and shared forms of mobility. Lyly’s study shows that promoting sustainable mobility is more than just a matter of technology. It is first and foremost a matter of organising, managing, and implementing the transition.
The Curious People newsletter shares our solutions for helping build resilient communities, industry, and businesses while promoting the energy transition and the regenerative use of natural resources.
Impact of mobility on urban quality of life
Mobility choices matter, because car-centred mobility is a significant emission source that contributes to global warming. Passenger cars produce roughly 60 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions in European road transport. Cars also occupy a great deal of road space in cities and affect liveability in the urban environment. As urbanisation continues, competition for limited space intensifies.
“My study focuses on how the mobility transition can be organised in a country like Finland, where the conditions for mobility vary significantly between urban and rural areas. In addition, it examines the roles of different actors in changing the system,” Lyly explains.
Lyly’s dissertation helps policymakers and urban developers understand what is holding back the transition from private cars to more sustainable mobility. Moreover, the study reveals what choices and regulatory tools are needed to accelerate the shift. There is a need for collaboration, flexibility, and motivation to consider new modes of operation. Trust, negotiation, and mutual learning between public and private actors play a key role in creating structures that genuinely enable the transition.
More information:
Natalia Lyly’s dissertation will undergo a public examination in Lappeenranta on 30 January 2026 at noon.
