Students in Jyväskylä prefer to make their everyday journeys on foot, by bicycle or by Link. Thanks to short distances, getting around Jyväskylä is quick – you can often get to the city centre or school in 15 minutes.
Students living in Jyväskylä prefer to walk (56% of respondents), cycle (43% of respondents) or use Link local transport (40% of respondents). The data is based on a student survey commissioned by the City of Jyväskylä and conducted in spring 2023. The survey, conducted by Tietoykköset, was answered by 990 students living in Jyväskylä.
Short distances mean you can get there in 15 minutes
There are many good reasons for students to choose sustainable transport, the main ones being the short distances in the city and the functioning light transport network. Around half of the respondents live within 2 km of their school and the centre of Jyväskylä. This means that many everyday trips can be made within 15 minutes. 29% of respondents live within a radius of 3-5 km of the city centre. 84% of respondents consider Jyväskylä’s cycle paths and other light transport network to be functional. The survey responses also highlighted the functionality of public transport. 75% of respondents considered Jyväskylä’s regional public transport system to be functional.
In addition to short distances, the mobility services available in Jyväskylä, such as shared cars, make everyday life easier for students. The shared cars offered by the city and the Central Finland Student Housing Foundation KOAS make it easy to rent a car for a longer trip to the shops, for example.Smart mobility choices are good for the student’s wallet and well-being.
In addition to the survey, students’ views on mobility choices were explored in a sustainable mobility workshop in spring 2023. In addition to short distances, students have many other good reasons to use their muscles or the Link to get around. In addition to ease, speed and affordability, health and wellbeing considerations also featured strongly in the workshop:
“I cycle because it’s fun, fast, and a nice everyday activity.”
“I walk because it allows me to stop for a moment in the middle of a busy day.”
“I ride the Link because it’s hassle-free.”
The workshop was organised as part of the City of Jyväskylä and KOAS’ Students on the Move project. The aim of the project is to encourage students to make smart transport choices in their everyday journeys, while enabling the development and implementation of new sustainable mobility practices.
Communicating sustainable mobility based on students’ ideas
In the workshop, the students also envisioned solutions for how to get more and more people in Jyväskylä to make their everyday journeys sustainable. They identified ways to encourage sustainable mobility through experiments and various communication and marketing campaigns.
Building on the needs and ideas raised by the students in the workshop, the city and KOAS have now developed communication materials to be used in sustainable mobility communication and marketing.
The aim of the communication is to encourage people to think about their own mobility choices and to highlight the speed and convenience of sustainable transport. Ideally, smart mobility choices become a wellbeing routine during the student years and continue in everyday life after graduation.
How do students manage their everyday journeys from home to school or the city centre in Jyväskylä? See the latest “Fifteen minutes to the destination” videos
For more information:
City of Jyväskylän kaupunki, Smart mobility coordinator Mira Juuma, mira.juuma@jyvaskyla.fi, 050 350 5359
Central Finland Student Housing Foundation, Development and Communications manager Hilla Hoskonen, hilla.hoskonen@koas.fi, 040 154 8691