Quand marcher requiert la mobilisation d’équipements imposants. Le cas des poussettes et caddies dans la mobilité de consommation

• Main Authors: Michèle Lalanne, Jean-Sébastien Vayre, Helene Brembeck, Niklas Sörum
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Presses Universitaires du Mirail 2016-11-01
• Series: Sciences de la Société
• Subjects: pedestrian mobility; consumer logistics; shopping trolleys; strollers; shopping streets; city center
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/sds/4195

Under the Leipzig Charter, European policies encourages “soft” mobility development for consumption activities in city centers. As part of a European research project on Consumer Logistics, we carried out a qualitative survey on the use of various equipments needed by the elderly and by young parents to walk and purchase in city centers. In the light of our observations, we try to understand how those specific populations need to manage large equipments in their daily routine. We pay attention to the way objects, persons and environments interact together in a dynamic perspective. In doing so, we notably underline the main role played by strollers and trolleys in shopping trips of young parents and senior citizens. We show that opting for “soft” consumption mobility (walking) requires some tactics and strategies dedicated to make adjusted sociotechnical agencements. Walking with a shopping trolley or a stroller involves psychomotor, cognitive and social resources. This is also part of a process that helps people to socialize and be together in the city.