GLOHRA Workshop 2026
GLOHRA Scientific Workshop Description
Commercial Determinants of Active Travel: Setting Global Research Priorities
Commercial Determinants of Active Travel: Setting Global Research Priorities
Active travel – such as walking and cycling – is a healthy and sustainable choice offering substantial benefits for the individuals` physical and mental health as well for the whole society in terms of environmental protection, and social well-being. Yet, despite strong evidence, prevalence of active travel is low in many parts of the world. One key but still underexplored factor shaping mobility patterns is the role of commercial determinants – including industry influence, market structures, and narratives that often reinforce car-dependent systems.
This interactive, interdisciplinary workshop brought together researchers from across global and public health, medicine, transport studies, environmental and planetary health, political economy, social sciences, and urban planning, and related fields to explore this emerging area of research. Together, participants mapped commercial influence pathways, identified critical evidence gaps, and co-developed a global research agenda on the commercial determinants of active travel.
Core objectives of the workshop were:
- to better understand and map how commercial actors influence active travel across diverse global contexts,
- to identify and prioritise key research questions in this field,
- and to collaboratively develop an open-access framework to guide future research and policy.
