Exploring Cooperative Car-Sharing Initiatives in Rural Friesland: Addressing Mobility Challenges and Enhancing Social Justice Outcomes

Abstract

This thesis investigates the potential of cooperative car-sharing initiatives, developed by local energy cooperatives, to address rural mobility challenges, and promote socially justice. The study examines how such initiatives operate at the nexus of housing-energy-mobility, with a particular focus on the case study of Buurtbestuurders in the province of Friesland. Against conditions of increasing car dependency and declining public transport, local energy cooperatives have begun offering shared electric vehicles as part of a broader grassroots sustainability effort. The study examines whether such initiatives can serve as inclusive and effective mobility solutions in structurally disadvantaged rural contexts. In order to achieve this the study uses a qualitative single case study methodology informed by the theoretical frameworks of justice theory, Self-Determination Theory, Multi-level-Perspective, grassroots innovations and Social-Practice Theory. Data were collected through 22 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders including, energy cooperatives, users, Buurtbestuurders network members, and experts. This was supplemented by user survey data. The study examines adoption trends, user experience, motivations, and governance in six pilot locations. Findings reveal that although Buurtbestuurders embodies features of grassroots innovation, its transformative capacity is constrained by governance fragmentation, uneven local embedding, and limited inclusivity. Adoption varied widely among villages, influenced by local coordination, situational relevance, and the presence of community leadership. In contexts where these conditions aligned, the initiative contributed to modest behavioural change and increased visibility of sustainability efforts. However, in most locations the shared vehicles functioned primarily as supplementary resources, rather than replacing private car ownership. Governance gaps undermined the initiative’s transformative potential. From a just nexus perspective, which emphasizes socially equitable integration across energy, mobility, and housing systems, the initiative’s impact remains minimal. Although energy profits supported mobility, social integration was lacking, and access required digital and financial capital. Therefore, rather than addressing exclusion, the project risks reproducing it. The analysis reveals a lack of participatory problem exploration and a misalignment between institutional support and grassroots ambitions. The study concludes that cooperative car-sharing has potential as a sustainability intervention, but its systemic effects require more robust governance frameworks, inclusive design and a deeper integration into local society. To realise its full potential, the initiative must move beyond experimental framing and address its institutional, technical, and social limitations. Policy recommendations include professionalising coordination, financial clarity, and integrating shared mobility into a just nexus approach. This way the cooperative car-sharing initiative in Friesland will be able to address mobility challenges and enhance social justice.