Martin Emanuel

I primarily teach historical and social science perspectives on mobility, infrastructures and spatial planning, often in relation to sustainable development. My teaching aims to strengthen students’ analytical ability to understand how political decisions, planning, technological solutions and everyday user practices interact in shaping our living environments.

In my research I explore how spaces and mobilities have been shaped, transformed and negotiated over time. I focus on people’s everyday mobility and the ideas, technologies and infrastructures that enable or constrain movement. Questions of power, justice and sustainable transition are central throughout my work.

My historical research highlights long-term developments in mobility, landscapes and planning. I have paid particular attention to the histories of walking, cycling and public transport, and how the conditions for these modes of mobility have been represented and materially configured. I also take an interest in historical perspectives on leisure, tourism and relationships between innovation and governance.

In recent years, I have increasingly worked at the intersection between historical analysis and studies of contemporary transition processes. Through interdisciplinary collaborations, I examine how grassroots initiatives, urban experimentation and planning practices can contribute to more just and sustainable societies.