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Urban development
Department of Spatial Planning
Studenten im Sommer auf dem Campus Nord, rote Zahnräder im Hintergrund © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund

Stawal

Project goals

The spatial structure of cities and urban regions and the daily mobility of the urban population are linked in multiple ways. These links are strongly mediated by the households' places of residence and other places relevant for daily activities, particularly the household members' places of work or education. Transport development is therefore closely connected to residential location choices. This in turn affects urban development as a whole, climate emissions, traffic safety, and more. The aim of the project was to better understand (a) how residential location choice – especially moving to a different residence within a region – affects daily travel, (b) which mobility needs, requirements and aspirations affect households' residential location choices, and (c) which role travel attitudes play in the interrelations between mobility and residential location choice.

The project focused on the following questions:

1. What mechanisms are at work when spatial structures and transport provision at the place of residence influence daily mobility? Which role does the location and accessibility of important destinations (e.g. workplace) play in this context?

2. Conversely, which mobility needs, requirements and aspirations shape residential location choice? Which role do (a) transport provision, (b) subjective travel attitudes, (c) (gender) roles in (couple) households, and (d) multi-local work play in this context?

Practical benefits of the project included strategical and directly applicable scientific knowledge about the transport effects of urban development and residential location choice, households‘ mobility needs, and an integrated, land-saving, climate-friendly urban and transport development.

 

Methodology

The project took three complementary perspectives: mobility and location demand, mobility and location supply, and options for policy interventions to manage the interrelations between housing and mobility. Core features were (a) panel surveys among households before and after a residential move about their mobility, life situation and attitudes on mobility and the spatial environment, and (b) cross-sectional surveys among all households in selected neighbourhoods to gain a broader picture of realised mobility and mobility needs in the neighbourhoods. Both survey parts included standardised surveys and qualitative interviews, on the one hand in the form  of panel interviews (before/after) with relocating households, on the other hand in the form of focus groups with the neighbourhood population. The surveys and interviews were initially implemented in three metropolitan regions, each with distinct spatial and socioeconomic characteristics (Berlin, Munich, Ruhr area). The panel was later extended to cover the whole of Germany. For the neighbourhood studies we chose 'model neighbourhoods' that involve distinct mobility concepts and control neighbourhoods without such concepts to evaluate the concepts.

 

Results

The project results can be found in a number of publications (see below), among others in a final report that has been designed for a broad audience (Projektteam Stawal 2024). We summarise key points in a number of theses in the following.

 

Public transport plays a surprisingly important role when looking for housing

Even though housing-related criteria dominate when looking for accomodation, households care for accessibility to important places of daily life. Different from what is often assumed, good public transport connections play a larger role than car parking. Thus, local public transport plays a key role in urban development. The difficulties of finding housing in Berlin and Munich forces households to accept any available flat or house even in areas that are poorly served by public transport. The largest compromises need to be made by those households who search for intra-urban high-density areas with excellent public transport provision – exactly those who have desirable preference from the perspective of sustainable spatial development. There is clearly more demand than supply for car-reduced developments.

Spatial structure affects travel mode choice…

Ownership and use of transport modes change after moving from urban to less urban areas or vice versa. Spatial structures thus have an observable impact on travel behaviour, which is in the expected direction: Moving from less to more urban areas result in less driving and stronger use of alternative modes.

… but individual travel attitudes affect transport even more

Individual travel attitudes shape travel mode choice even more than spatial structures. 'Dedicated cyclists' and 'dedicated drivers' abide by their favourite mode. Cycling aficionados in particular stick to their mode and may only switch to public transport in cases where daily trips have become to long to cycle after the move. Changes in travel behaviour can be observed primarily among those who travelled with multiple modes before their move, and those who do not have any clear affinity towards a particular mode. These findings underline the deep rooting of individual travel behaviour in travel attitudes. If someone finds a place of residence that matches his/her individual travel attitudes, travel-related residential self-selection is supported.

Travel attitudes also have a regional dimension. They are clearly more car-dominated in the Ruhr area, while the car is seen with a more critical acclaim in Munich and Berlin, where conversely public transport and walking are seen in a more positive manner.

Working from home results in making fewer trips – and longer commute distances

The chance to work from home results in the strengthening of existing urban or suburban preferences in housing search. For households with a preference towards suburban housing, working from home is an additional reason to extend their housing search to suburban or even rural areas and consider or accept residential options in longer distances from workplaces. For households with urban housing preferences, a domestic workplace does not play a strong role as a location criterion, but the more so with respect to to housing area (workroom). Working from home reduces the number of trips made, but at the same time increases commute distances following the move, because proximity to the workplace loses importance as a location criterion.

The results show: the turnaround is worthwhile for municipalities and the housing industry

The empirical results permit to draw a number of relevant conclusions for the efficient and sustainable design of transport. These conclusions include: the provision of a good quality public transport system; the development of (minimum) standards for transport concepts in new developments; urban developments in integrated locations; sufficient provision of housing to make sure that (sustainable) preferences can be realised; the realisation of push measures ('soft pressure') including the re-use of street spaces at the favour of green modes; the replacement of minimum parking requirements ('Stellplatzbaupflicht') by regional mobility statutes ('landesspezifische Mobilitätssatzungen'); stronger competencies for municipalities that in turn should engage in favour of more innovation in national transport policy.

 

Funding agency

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung)

Funding line: MobilitätsZukunftsLabor2050

Reference number: 01UV2082A

 

Project partners

  • TU Dortmund University, Department of Spatial Planning, Research Group of Urban and Regional Sociology, Prof. Dr. Susanne Frank
  • German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu), Department Mobility, Uta Bauer

 

Policy partners

  • Anders Wohnen GmbH, Munich
  • Bauwerk Capital GmbH & Co. KG, Munich
  • BBU Verband Berlin-Brandenburgischer Wohnungsunternehmen e.V.
  • Bundeshauptstadt Berlin, Senatsverwaltung für Umwelt, Verkehr und Klimaschutz
  • GdW Bundesverband deutscher Wohnungs- und Immobilienunternehmen e.V., Referat Stadtentwicklung, Wohnungsbau und Raumordnung, Berlin
  • Gewobag Wohnungsbau-AG, Berlin
  • GEWOBAU Wohnungsgenossenschaft Essen
  • Gewofag, Munich
  • GWG Städtische Wohnungsgesellschaft München mbH
  • HOWOGE Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbH, Berlin
  • Immobilienscout24
  • Landeshauptstadt München, Referat für Stadtplanung und Bauordnung
  • Spar- und Bauverein eG, Dortmund
  • Stadt Dortmund, Stadtplanungs- und Bauordnungsamt
  • Stadt Essen, Amt für Stadtplanung und Bauordnung
  • Stadt Lünen, Abteilung Stadtplanung
  • stattbau münchen GmbH, Munich
  • stattbau münchen GmbH, Munich
  • SWB-Service- Wohnungsvermietungs- und -baugesellschaft mbH, Mülheim an der Ruhr
  • VBW Bauen und Wohnen GmbH, Bochum
  • Verband bayerischer Wohnungsunternehmen (VdW Bayern)
  • Verband der Wohnungs- und Immobilienwirtschaft Rheinland Westfalen e. V. (VdW-RW), Düsseldorf
  • Vereinigung Münchener Wohnungsunternehmen
  • Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Humboldt-Universität eG, Berlin
  • Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Neues Berlin eG

 

Scientific advisory board

  • Mario Hilgenfeld (BBU Verband Berlin-Brandenburgischer Wohnungsunternehmen e.V.)
  • Dr. Thomas Klinger (Institut für Landes- und Stadtentwicklungsforschung gGmbH, Dortmund)
  • Dr. Stefan Klug (Landeshauptstadt München)
  • Prof. Dr. Petter Næss (Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo)
  • Dr. Sonja Rube (Freiberufliche Beraterin, München)
  • Winfried Sagolla (ehem. Stadt Dortmund)
  • Prof. Dr. Véronique van Acker (LISER, Luxembourg)

 

Coopted international partners

  • Prof. Dr.-Ing. Petter Naess, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Urban Sustainability research group
  • Prof. Dr. Véronique van Acker, LISER, Luxemburg

 

Project start and end

November 2020 until April 2024

 

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Joachim Scheiner, joachim.scheinertu-dortmundde

Phone ++49 / (0) 231 755 4822

 

Publications

Schimohr, Katja / Heinen, Eva / Naess, Petter / Scheiner, Joachim (2025): Changes in mode use after residential relocation: attitudes and the built environment. In: Transportation Research Part D 139, 104556. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2024.104556

Schimohr, Katja / Heinen, Eva / Scheiner, Joachim (2025): The impact of relocations on distances traveled for commuting and grocery shopping: structural equation models of panel data. In: Transportation (in print, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-024-10498-1)

Projektteam STAWAL (Bauer, Uta / Frank, Susanne / Gerwinat, Verena / Huber, Oliver / Lohaus, Jannik / Scheiner, Joachim / Schimohr, Katja / Stein, Thomas / Wismer, Annika) (2024): Stadtstruktur, Wohnstandortwahl und Alltagsmobilität. Neue Befunde für die Stadt- und Verkehrsentwicklung. Berlin und Dortmund. https://doi.org/10.34744/v8jz-yv89

Frank, Susanne / Gerwinat, Verena / Scheiner, Joachim / Schimohr Katja / Wismer, Annika (2024): Stadtstruktur, Wohnstandortwahl und Alltagsmobilität. Ergebnisse einer Mixed-Methods-Panelbefragung und von Querschnittsbefragungen in ausgewählten Quartieren in Berlin, München und im Ruhrgebiet. Arbeitspapiere des Fachgebiets Stadtentwicklung 3. Dortmund: Technische Universität. http://dx.doi.org/10.17877/DE290R-24342

Schimohr, Katja / Huber, Oliver / Scheiner, Joachim (2024): Erhebungsmethodik und Datensatzbeschreibung einer Panelbefragung von Umziehenden im Projekt STAWAL. Arbeitspapiere des Fachgebiets Stadtentwicklung 6. Dortmund: Technische Universität. dx.doi.org/10.17877/DE290R-24709Gerwinat, Verena / Schimohr, Katja / Wismer, Annika / Lohaus, Jannik / Bauer, Uta / Frank, Susanne / Scheiner, Joachim (2024): Thesen zu Mobilitätskonzepten in großstädtischen Quartieren: Ausgewählte Ergebnisse des Projekts STAWAL. In: Canzler, Weert / Haus, Juliane / Kellermann, Robin / Schröder, Sabine / Thomsen, Carlo (Hrsg.): Gemeinsam in Bewegung: Forschung und Praxis für die Mobilitätswende. Beispiele und Erkenntnisse aus den Projekten der BMBF-Fördermaßnahmen MobilitätsWerkStadt 2025 und MobilitätsZukunftsLabor 2050. Berlin: nexus Institut & WZB. S. 64-73. Download: https://www.zukunft-nachhaltige-mobilitaet.de/sammelband/

Schimohr, Katja / Heinen, Eva / Scheiner, Joachim (2023): Travel-based residential dissonance as a motivation for relocation: An analysis of movers in Germany. In: Travel Behaviour and Society 33, S. 100639. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tbs.2023.100639

Gerwinat, Verena; Wismer, Annika (2023): Homeoffice und Wohnstandortwahl in Großstädten: Neue Perspektiven. In: vhw Forum Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung 15 (6), S. 320 – 324. https://www.vhw.de/fileadmin/user_upload/08_publikationen/verbandszeitschrift/FWS/2023/FWS_6_2023/FWS_6_2023_Gerwinat_Wismer.pdf

Scheiner, Joachim / Frank, Susanne / Gerwinat, Verena / Schimohr, Katja / Wismer, Annika (2023): Home Office als Chance für den Wohnungsmarkt – und als Rolle rückwärts für die Verkehrswende. Qualitative und quantitative Befunde. In: vhw Forum Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung 15(3), 156-162. https://www.vhw.de/publikationen/forum-wohnen-und-stadtentwicklung/archiv/archiv-detail/magazin/heft-32023-wohneigentum-als-baustein-fuer-die-wohnungspolitik/

Scheiner, Joachim / Frank, Susanne / Gerwinat, Verena / Huber, Oliver / Næss, Peter / Schimor, Katja / Van Acker, Veronique / Wismer, Annika (2023): In search of causality in the relationship between the built environment and travel behaviour. On the challenges of planning and realising an ambitious mixed-methods panel travel survey among relocating households in Germany. In: Progress in Planning 182, 100820. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progress.2023.100820

 

Projektteam STAWAL (Bauer, Uta / Frank, Susanne / Gerwinat, Verena / Huber, Oliver / Lohaus, Jannik / Scheiner, Joachim / Schimohr, Katja / Stein, Thomas / Wismer, Annika) (2024): Stadtstruktur, Wohnstandortwahl und Alltagsmobilität. Neue Befunde für die Stadt- und Verkehrsentwicklung. Berlin und Dortmund. https://doi.org/10.34744/v8jz-yv89

Gerwinat, Verena; Wismer, Annika (2023): Homeoffice und Wohnstandortwahl in Großstädten: Neue Perspektiven. In: vhw Forum Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung 15 (6), S. 320 – 324.

Scheiner, Joachim / Frank, Susanne / Gerwinat, Verena / Schimohr, Katja / Wismer, Annika (2023): Home Office als Chance für den Wohnungsmarkt – und als Rolle rückwärts für die Verkehrswende. Qualitative und quantitative Befunde. In: vhw Forum Wohnen und Stadtentwicklung 15(3), 156-162. https://www.vhw.de/publikationen/forum-wohnen-und-stadtentwicklung/archiv/archiv-detail/magazin/heft-32023-wohneigentum-als-baustein-fuer-die-wohnungspolitik/

Scheiner, Joachim / Frank, Susanne / Gerwinat, Verena / Huber, Oliver / Næss, Peter / Schimor, Katja / Van Acker, Veronique / Wismer, Annika (2023): In search of causality in the relationship between the built environment and travel behaviour. On the challenges of planning and realising an ambitious mixed-methods panel travel survey among relocating households in Germany. In: Progress in Planning  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progress.2023.100820

Bauer, Uta / Frank, Susanne / Gerwinat, Verena / Huber, Oliver / Scheiner, Joachim / Schimohr, Katja / Stein, Thomas / Wismer, Annika (Hrsg.) (2022): Wechselwirkungen zwischen Wohnstandortwahl und Alltagsmobilität. Wissenschaftliche Grundlagen und kommunale Praxis. Arbeitspapier im Rahmen des STAWAL-Projekts 01. Berlin: Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik. https://repository.difu.de/handle/difu/58350

 

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