Mobility in Cities

Transport and mobility are not static phenomena. This is especially true in urban areas, where demographic, infrastructural, economic, and many other developments are particularly closely intertwined, and where mobility planning must balance competing demands.

Societal and individual conditions are rapidly changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, responses to climate change, and the current development in energy prices, with significant impacts on transport systems. In these turbulent times it is particularly important to review strategic positions and, if necessary, readjust them. This requires reliable information and data.

In 2028, the 13th iteration of the time series study "Mobility in Cities – SrV" will take place. From the outset, this unique time series—founded as "System of Representative Travel Surveys" (in German: "System repräsentativer Verkehrsbefragungen", SrV)—has been tailored to the needs of practical transport planning. The findings of this study provide important indicators on the state of transport development for mobility planning and transport policy. Moreover, the resulting detailed data set is of great importance for transport modeling.

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Important Topics at a Glance

Foto vom Postplatz in Dresden mit Autos, einer Straßenbahn, Radfahrenden und Zufußgehendenn

Kickoff for SrV 2028 on May 4, 2026

The digital information event for SrV 2028 took place on May 4, 2026 (in German). It was primarily aimed at potential commissioning institutions for the 13th iteration of the research project “Mobility in Cities – SrV.” The event provided insights into current research findings on mobility, highlighted the potential of SrV data for academia and practice, and outlined the preparations for SrV 2028.

Die Abbildung zeigt die Systematik des Gesamtverkehrs einer Stadt. Hervorgehoben ist der "Verkehr der Wohnbevölkerung", der beim SrV betrachtet wird.

The SrV Standard

The SrV is committed to providing a continuous and comparable time series. The survey design is therefore characterized by certain core features. These include the fact that the target population consists of the residents of the respective city or municipality. The mobility of the resident population is thus the central research subject.

Information for potential commissioning bodies

An increasing number of cities are joining the collaborative project “Mobility in Cities – SrV”, driven by its alignment with transport planning needs, its scientifically robust survey design, and not least the cost advantages of joint commissioning. This enables them to assess their transport development both in relation to their own objectives and in comparison with other cities.

50 Years of Survey Tradition

For the past 50 years, the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences at TUD Dresden University of Technology has been analyzing the development of mobility among urban residents by means of regular household travel surveys. The first survey within the "System of Representative Traffic Surveys" (in German: "System repräsentativer Verkehrsbefragungen", SrV) took place in 1972, followed by subsequent survey iterations in 1977, 1982 and 1987.

With the surveys conducted in 1991, 1994, and 1998, the interval between survey iterations was shortened in order to adequately capture the dynamic changes in eastern Germany after the reunification, which also affected urban mobility.

Since 2003, the SrV surveys have once again been conducted at five-year intervals. In the 1998 SrV iteration, Frankfurt am Main was the first city in former West Germany to take part. Since then, the group of participating cities in this part of Germany has continuously expanded. In 2018, almost half of all survey areas were located in former West German federal states.

SrV 2023 was conducted in approximately 500 cities and municipalities across all regions of Germany, with a total sample of over 280,000 respondents.