Mobility as a lens of social engagement in the urban context: The case of Florence university students

Mobility has long been recognised by the social sciences as a particularly effective lens through which to analyse the functioning of an urban system from multiple perspectives. This study focuses on both routine and leisure mobility of the student population – a significant component in a university city like Florence – to examine both the adoption of sustainable mobility models and the extent and forms of participation in the city's socio-cultural life. The study demonstrates the efficacy of analysing mobility as a methodological tool in urban social research, highlighting its potential to detect dynamics of inclusion and/or exclusion.