What if the future of urban mobility were walking?

One part of the research focuses on the behaviors and preferences of Gen Z regarding urban mobility, answering questions about their preferred modes of transport, distinguishing between public transportation, private individual use, and shared private options.

The study also explored what factors influence the adoption of new technologies, such as electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

By combining innovative qualitative methods (such as video diaries) with a large-scale survey of 6,605 respondents aged 18 to 45 in major cities across France, Germany, the UK, China, and India, the research yielded both absolute and comparative insights.

While public transportation remains widely used in Europe, India, and especially China, where it’s seen as convenient and affordable, private vehicles (especially cars, for those who can afford them) continue to be a top choice, second only to walking. This preference becomes even more pronounced when electric vehicles are incentivized through lower marginal costs like free parking or access to restricted traffic zones.

This could suggest an increase in traffic soon if the adoption of electric (and plug-in hybrid) vehicles rises and current incentives remain unchanged.

The road to individual mobility electrification is highly fragmented, with Asia ahead of Europe, particularly continental Europe. While electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle adoption among Gen Z and Millennials is significant in Chinese and Indian cities, in Europe, only the UK shows similar levels of penetration. Germany and France remain more conservative, even though interest in these technologies is high. This regional diversity highlights the need for tailored incentive strategies: what works for Gen Z in one part of the world may not work elsewhere.

The research also analyzed car sharing adoption, where Europe is ahead of China, while India shows the highest diffusion of this mode. The most significant findings highlight strong differences in usage: the UK has the highest concentration of upper-middle-class Gen Z car sharing users, while preferences for vehicle type vary: greater openness to EVs in the UK and China, with a mixed choice in Germany, France, and India. Rental habits and engine type preferences also show distinct national traits.

The study also looked into interest in synchronous sharing solutions (such as carpooling). Gen Z shows openness to these options, although providers offering the necessary infrastructure are still rare. India shows the highest penetration of pooled rides and the greatest interest in adopting this solution when available.

A finding that aligns with the 2024 mobiUs Lab research, but is explored in greater depth in the 2025 edition, is the strong preference for walking. As mentioned earlier, walking is the most widely used form of urban transportation in all the countries studied.

The qualitative research explored the motivations behind walking, which are tied not only to functional aspects (such as not having to look for parking) but more importantly to the concept of “walking with purpose,” which seems to drive Gen Z’s soft mobility choices. Here again, national differences emerge:

• Young Europeans walk to exercise, detox, socialize, enjoy the city, and for the convenience of managing daily tasks.
• In India, walking is more often associated with physical exercise or used as a warm-up before sports, rather than as a social opportunity.
• Chinese youth, on the other hand, see walking mainly as part of a multimodal commute (i.e., between legs of a journey). Their self-discipline and goal-oriented mindset mean they walk only when necessary and choose the most efficient route.

The wide range of mobility practices among young people globally calls for mobility providers and urban planners to adopt context-specific strategies.

Understanding the strong trust Gen Z in China places in public transportation, for instance, could guide investments in infrastructure and service quality elsewhere. Similarly, differences in attitudes toward electric vehicles demand targeted incentives and solutions to specific issues, such as charging infrastructure in Europe.

Emerging trends in shared and rental mobility, meanwhile, could inspire the development of more attractive and culturally aligned solutions.

Read more articles in the Gen Z and sustainable urban mobility series:

Zerbini, Borghini, Cirrincione, Colm – Gen Z and sustainable mobility: Incentives will work better than appeals.

Cirrincione - A Frenchman, a German, and a Chinese at the charging station...

Zerbini, Borghini, Cirrincione, Colm - Moving tomorrow: Urban mobility through the eyes of Gen Z.

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