{"id":4090,"date":"2023-03-09T14:45:38","date_gmt":"2023-03-09T13:45:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/datamobility.it\/magazine\/ok-boomer-a-generational-perspective-on-mobility\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T16:43:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T15:43:15","slug":"ok-boomer-a-generational-perspective-on-mobility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/datamobility.it\/en\/magazine\/ok-boomer-a-generational-perspective-on-mobility\/","title":{"rendered":"OK Boomer? A generational perspective on mobility<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Elena Colli (GO-Mobility)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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OK Boomer?<\/strong><\/h1>\n

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A generational perspective on mobility<\/h3>\n

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In recent years, references to generations<\/b> have increasingly entered public debate. Terms such as Gen Z<\/i>, Baby Boomers<\/i>, and Millennials<\/i> are now part of everyday language, starting with the catchphrase \u201cOK Boomer<\/a>,\u201d which made this generation famous (despite itself) in 2019. These categories have often been used to study trends<\/b> related to specific cohorts and verify their progress over time.<\/p>\n

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One well-known fact about the Millennial generation in the Western world, for example, is the significant decline in car ownership and use compared to the two previous generations. But what is the reason for this decline? Is it a change in behavior dictated by a voluntary choice, confirming the narrative that describes Millennials as \u201cmore sustainable\u201d? Or are we facing a temporary phenomenon, dictated by other factors? In this month’s article, we will attempt to answer these questions with the research \u201cTowards a sustainable mobility transition? A cohort approach for Millennials and Baby Boomers in Europe<\/a>,\u201d which combines different data sources [1] and methods of analysis [2] in an attempt to provide an answer.<\/p>\n

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[1] European Commission dataset on longitudinal surveys (EU-SILC) and large-scale travel surveys \u2013 EU28 basis; focus groups conducted in Italy.<\/p>\n

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[2] Quantitative (secondary data analysis, logistic regression model) and qualitative (text analysis).<\/p>\n

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Why a generational approach?<\/h2>\n

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In a rapidly urbanizing world, managing urban mobility<\/b> is increasingly crucial. As is well known, a large part of greenhouse gas emissions <\/b>(24% in 2018<\/a>) is due to the transport<\/b> sector, which is the only sector whose share of emissions continues to grow, and at a fairly rapid pace (Figure 1). Significant advances in technology are not enough to offset the environmental impact of the growing demand<\/b> for global mobility. For this reason, urban mobility policies have (also) focused on another aspect for several decades: changing mobility behaviors<\/b>. This translates into the implementation of policies aimed at reducing the number of trips and shifting the demand for mobility from private cars to other modes considered more sustainable (active mobility, public transport, sharing, and so on).<\/p>\n

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Figure 1 – Trend in greenhouse gas emissions in the EU since 1990. UNFCCC data processed by Transport & Environment<\/a><\/p>\n

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Behavior, in turn, is dictated by a combination of various psychological, socio-economic, demographic, and territorial factors. According to a typically sociological approach, what individuals do is never attributable to mere personal choices<\/b>, but is inevitably shaped by the context<\/b>: the social structures in which they are immersed, the characteristics of the territory that surrounds them, their personal history, the historical period they are living in, and so on.<\/p>\n

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For these reasons, it is useful to use a generational approach<\/b>. First of all, because, in order to have an impact, behavioral changes must be large-scale<\/b> and long-lasting<\/b>. Studying them from a generational perspective allows us to go beyond the \u201cstatic snapshot\u201d that is normally obtained with analyses based on cross-sectional sampling<\/b> (so-called cross-sections<\/a>, for example, comparing age groups over a given period of time). On the contrary, a longitudinal<\/b> study helps to identify trajectories and understand possible future trends. In fact, \u2018generation\u2019 refers to a group of people born in the same time frame, who therefore share the same life trajectory<\/b>. It means living through the same historical period, sharing the same historical, social, and economic events and phenomena at the same age.<\/p>\n

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Two generations compared: Millennials and Baby Boomers<\/h2>\n

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The study in question set out to understand how much the Millennial generation in the EU is contributing to a transition<\/b> towards more sustainable mobility styles, using a comparative approach from both a generational<\/b> (Millennials and Baby Boomers) and territorial<\/b> (geographical clusters and levels of urbanization) perspective.<\/p>\n

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But why these two generations in particular?<\/p>\n

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The so-called Baby Boomers<\/b> owe their name to the demographic boom that characterized the Western world after World War II: they are people born between 1946 and 1964. They are the first generation<\/b> to grow up in increasingly car-centric urban systems, at the height of the industrial and symbolic boom of the sector (in the century of the car<\/i><\/b><\/a>, as the 20th century is often referred to). They were the protagonists of a prolonged and persistent growth in driving licenses<\/b> and the use and ownership <\/b>of cars. For this reason, they are characterized by a high dependence<\/b> on private cars and a high number of motorized trips, which persist even after retirement into old age<\/b>, unlike the previous generation (due, among other things, to better economic and health conditions).<\/p>\n

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Figure 2 – Birth rate index in the EU28 (1957=100). Source: author’s graphic elaboration on Eurostat and UN data processed by Istat<\/a><\/p>\n

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On the other hand, we have the so-called Millennials<\/b>, generally understood to be the generation that first came of age in the new millennium, and which in this case is considered to have been born between 1983 and 2000 [3]. They are essentially the children of the Baby Boomers. However, unlike their parents, this generation has been noted for a steady decline<\/b> in car use and ownership compared to the previous generation at their age, which has occurred across several Western countries, as reported in a recent article in The Economist<\/a>. This has led many scholars to ask: are we facing a<\/b> peak in car use <\/b>(the so-called \u201ccar peak<\/a>\u201d)? Has its use and ownership reached a point of saturation and is therefore destined to decline globally?<\/p>\n

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Figure 3 – Factors related to the decline in car use and ownership among Millennials according to the literature<\/p>\n

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[3] It is important to emphasize that the temporal boundaries defining generations are an analytical construct. They should therefore be interpreted as a \u201cguideline\u201d and a useful tool for analysis, rather than a rigid distinction between categories of people.<\/p>\n

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To peak or not to peak?<\/h2>\n

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In light of the above, there are two questions to be understood:<\/p>\n

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