Doctoral Defense in Environmental Studies - Johanna Raudsepp

Doctoral candidate:
Johanna Raudsepp

Title of thesis:
What moves us: connections between urban mobility, travel emissions, and wellbeing

Opponents:
Dr. Camille Perchoux, Research Associate, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), Luxembourg
Dr. Kees Maat, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

Advisor:
Dr. Jukka Heinonen, Professor at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland

Other members of the doctoral committee:
Dr. Áróra Árnadóttir, Adjunct at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland
Dr. Michał Czepkiewicz, Assistant Professor at the Centre for European Regional and Local Studies (EUROREG), University of Warsaw, Poland
Dr. Kamyar Hasanzadeh, Lecturer at the Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Finland

Chair of Ceremony:
Dr. Hrund Ólöf Andradóttir, Professor and Head of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland

Abstract:
The thesis explores the connections between the urban environment, travel behaviour and wellbeing with a mixed methods approach, focusing on the Nordic countries. Despite being hailed as climate leaders, Nordic countries’ travel footprints are exceeding levels for remaining below 1.5-degree Celsius temperature increase, while many people who meet the threshold today might belong to lower socio-economic groups. A large portion of the travel footprints stems from long-distance leisure travel and is partially driven by low climate concern. The thesis further focuses on a case study of Reykjavík, Iceland. Reykjavík urbanites express that they travel away from the city for their wellbeing, and the trips could be partially motivated by interactions with the broader urban environment.

Activity spaces are used to explore this indication further. A correlation is found between high levels of urban mobility and engaging more in domestic leisure travel. Furthermore, there are indications of a lack of functioning public and active transport systems in Reykjavík. In daily urban mobility, exposure to green and grey spaces beyond one’s neighbourhood could impact overall life satisfaction, although underlying socio-economic background is more relevant. What is more, exposure to green and grey spaces explains some of the leisure travel emissions, but personal attitudinal factors are more significant. The thesis highlights the importance of people-centric urban planning which considers the wellbeing and needs of residents. It also emphasises the need for rapid travel emissions reductions in wealthy countries while making sure socio-economically disadvantaged people do not get left behind in the transition towards sustainability.

About the doctoral candidate:
Johanna Raudsepp was born in 1995 in Tartu, Estonia, where she completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Miina Härma Gymnasium, followed by studies at the University of Tartu where she earned a B.A. in Economics and Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing and Business Management in 2018. She then pursued a MSc degree in Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Iceland, which she completed in 2020. In November 2021, Johanna continued her education by enrolling in the Environmental Studies PhD program at the University of Iceland. Johanna is also a Member of the Board and Treasurer of FEDON (Association of PhD Students and Postdoctoral Researchers at the University of Iceland). Alongside her studies, Johanna worked as a Marketing and Communications Specialist (and later Manager) from 2016 to 2022 at Positium, which is a company providing statistical insights from mobile positioning data based in Tartu, Estonia. In addition, she has been involved in the GLOBE Program in Estonia, which is an environmental education and science program for schoolchildren of all ages. Johanna has been a Member of the Board of the NPO GLOBE Eesti since 2016, and served as Deputy Country Coordinator from April 2022 to October 2024. In addition, she has also worked as a freelance journalist and marketing specialist in various projects.