The journey to school in Britain since the 1940s: continuity and change

Abstract

The journey to school has major significance both for families and urban environments, yet little is known in detail about the ways this has changed over the twentieth century. This study uses oral history evidence to compare decisions about the journey to school in the past and the present, and to assess the impact of these changes on the mobility experience of children. The paper argues that despite obvious increases in car use, and decreases in children travelling alone, other characteristics of the journey to school in British urban areas have changed little over the past 60 years.