International mobility research conference to bring scientists from 26 countries to Tartu

The Mobile Tartu conference will address topics ranging from mobility inequality to data-driven decision-making.

The Mobility Lab of the Department of Geography is organising the international scientific conference Mobile Tartu, which will take place in Tartu on 8–10 June 2026. Held for the tenth time, the conference will reflect on the development of mobility research over the past two decades and discuss how the increasingly widespread availability and use of digital mobility data is influencing science, spatial planning, and governance. The conference offers participants the opportunity to explore the latest research-based approaches to studying human spatial behaviour, discuss the potential of data-informed decision-making, and exchange experiences within a network of international researchers and practitioners.

The international group of approximately 150 experts reflects the growing interest in evidence-based spatial planning and the need to connect it with the goals of sustainable and just development. According to the conference’s chief organiser, Head of the Mobility Lab Age Poom, “Over the past two decades, the Mobile Tartu conference has brought together a strong community that returns to Tartu every two years to share the latest approaches and research findings on understanding human mobility and societal functioning through big data. We are especially pleased with the doctoral school associated with the conference, which has attracted increasing interest year after year. It helps ensure the next generation in our field, supports networking among early-career researchers, and trains future experts to make evidence-based decisions.”

The keynote speaker on the first day of the conference, 8 June, is Professor Emeritus Kay Axhausen (ETH Zürich), who will deliver a presentation titled “Activity Space From Idea to Measurement.” Topics discussed on the opening day include the impact of digital transformation on the development of activity space research, population statistics and register-based mobility studies, as well as spatial accessibility and realised mobility flows.

The opening keynote on the second day, 9 June, will be delivered by Professor Mimi Sheller (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) with a talk titled “Mobility Data Justice in the Age of AI.” Throughout the day, sessions will also address themes such as digital technologies and mobility inequality, challenges related to mobile positioning data, urban mobility and walkability, and transport modelling.

The keynote speaker on the final day of the conference, 10 June, is Associate Professor Tiina Rinne (Tampere University), whose presentation is titled “Indicators and Insights: Driving Change in Urban and Transport Planning.” Discussions will focus on cross-sectoral cooperation in urban and transport planning, cycling and sustainable mobility, cross-border mobility and multi-locality, and understanding mobility through big data.

The conference will conclude with a panel discussion on the intersections of mobility, transport, and spatial planning, the integration of practices that have often remainedseparate, and the impact of mobility data on making smarter future decisions in spatial governance.

All keynote presentations and the panel discussion can also be followed live via the conference website and social media channels (https://mobiletartu.ut.ee/watch-live/).

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June 8 | 14:20–15:20
Rein Ahas Lecture
Prof. Kay Axhausen (ETH Zurich)

June 9 | 09:00–09:50
Keynote Presentation
Prof. Mimi Sheller (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)

June 10 | 15:10–16:00
Keynote Presentation
Prof. Tiina Rinne (Tampere University)

Running alongside the conference, the Mobile Tartu Doctoral School will take place from 7–10 June. Its aim is to bring together a new generation of mobility researchers and strengthen their capacity to work with big data sources and apply the latest research methods in spatial analysis. The doctoral school is supported by the EIT Urban Mobility doctoral training network, the Estonian Doctoral School, and the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences at the University of Tartu.