Special issue: Gender gap in mobility geographical dimensions and implications

Source abstract

This special issue examines the complex relationships between gender and urban mobility, focusing on women's travel needs. Historically male-dominated and focused on quantitative efficiency models, transport geography has evolved toward critical frameworks prioritizing social equity. The collection moves beyond simplistic binaries, conceptualizing the "mobility of care" as a structural outcome of spatial design and socioeconomic status. It broadens geographic scope by capturing lived experiences across both the Global South and high-income economies. Additionally, it evaluates how emerging transport technologies and changing work patterns can either perpetuate or mitigate gender inequities. Integrating diverse methodologies—from Big Data to qualitative narratives—it proves that gender acts as a spatialized axis of power requiring targeted, gender-responsive planning rather than neutral solutions. Ultimately, the editorial synthesizes these insights to guide policy interventions and outline future research agendas.