Institutional Innovations for Sustainable Mobility: Comparing Groningen (NL) and Phoenix (US)

The pursuit of sustainable mobility requires a process of innovations for spatial planning policies. This process is widely sought after in different cities and regions. However, the necessary conditions are not explicitly identified. By comparing the cases of Groningen, the Netherlands and Phoenix, AZ, US; the authors seek key conditions allowing innovations for sustainable mobility. Through a historiography of key moments within these processes, interviews with key experts and a qualitative data analysis of policy documents; the authors identify the key conditions as i) appropriate governance and ii) presence of complementary institutions. Additionally, the presence of coalitions (bottom-up initiatives, local activist or lobby groups) contributes a surprisingly crucial and tangible role in the shift towards sustainable mobility.