ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces a short research programme on ten themes of mobility, especially car mobility from a social science perspective. A lot of research on vehicle technology, on the economic aspects of transport and mobility, on energy issues related to mobility and on the spatial consequences of mobility. The social and cultural aspects related to mobility were not paid much attention in recent decades and the same holds true for aspects of governance and politics around mobility. Convenience can be seen as one of the most important motives for frequent car use. Fifty years ago the bicycle was seen as convenient, now the standard for convenience is an air-conditioned car with many gadgets. The concept of governance capacity is coined by Innes and Booher and by Healey, and is used in different societal sectors. The research programme leads to greater drama around physical mobility, being one of the defining factors in our western modern risk societies.
