Shared mobility is already a common feature in many urban areas. While there are several large, profit-driven providers, there are also organisations founded on social and “green” values, such as collective ownership, community governance, reduced car use, and stronger connections between neighbours - these are mobility cooperatives. They succeed in creating an alternative system, but at the same time, they are constrained by the dominant mobility regime, which upholds a logic of commercialization, individualization, and market-based solutions.
CollectieveKracht member in the spotlight: Dégage vzw
Social and liveable neighbourhoods are the mission of Dégage. By sharing cars and bicycles, Dégage aims to reconnect people with each other. They advocate for fewer cars, which creates more space in cities and neighbourhoods for green areas, social interaction, and sustainable transport.
The core of the transformative potential of mobility cooperatives lies in their focus on shared responsibility: organising mobility fairly and sustainably, rather than treating it as a commodity.
Findings
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First, cooperatives show that mobility can be more than a tradable service. Their strength lies in developing shared responsibility and community autonomy. At the same time, they face internal tensions: members often join for practical benefits, which can undermine the broader transformative agenda. They also compete with commercial providers who market “sharing” and “community” as branding. Dutch mobility cooperatives could learn from RailCoop in France, which explicitly promotes a transformative vision.
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Second, cooperatives have the potential to challenge car culture by fostering community engagement and encouraging behaviour change. Working at the neighbourhood level strengthens involvement but limits scalability. Expanding to the city level increases professionalism but often weakens the democratic core. Participation also remains unequal, for example along gender lines. A focus on car-sharing excludes vulnerable groups; incorporating broader transport options and linking with care-focused initiatives could improve inclusivity.
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Third, cooperatives organise themselves outside the market-state logic, but growth brings risks of professionalisation and co-optation. Collaboration with market actors and government can provide resources but may also compromise autonomy. Here, public-common partnerships offer perspective: institutional forms that strengthen community power and enable structural support.
Mobility cooperatives have significant potential to drive change, but their influence is still fragile. They face internal tensions, often operate at a limited scale, and function within a system that leaves them little room. By positioning themselves clearly as a form of common mobility and collaborating with broader networks and partners, they can strengthen their position and play a more substantial role in a just and sustainable mobility transition.
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