Is reversible mobility here to stay?

Reversible mobility is defined by frequent round trips, often over large distances, which are both energy expensive and time consuming, but which use today’s rapid means of personal and virtual mobility to undo the negative effects typically associated to a non-sedentary lifestyle. Although reversible mobility is often a forced solution to make social and professional demands meet, it has also become a hallmark of many leisure activities. In a book co-written by Kaufmann and Vincent-Geslin, the authors present the results of a two year study on long-distance reversible mobility, conducted in the context of a European Union Research Program. Basing themselves on a several sociological surveys, the researchers attempt to clearly define and characterize reversible mobility and understand who engages in it and why.