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Political Will Exists, Political Majorities Are Unclear. How public transport is structured in Mainz - and how it could be reimagined: A Foundational Economy perspective

Jäger, Marco Joaquin Yagul LU (2025) SGEM08 20251
Department of Human Geography
Abstract
This thesis explores the structure and potential future of public transport in Mainz, Germany, through the lens of the Foundational Economy. The Foundational Economy, a broad project developed by several European scholars, offers a critique of neoliberalism by advocating for renewed policy attention to essential goods and services—such as public transport. The Foundational Economy reorients public policy toward collective well-being rather than economic growth, advocating for participatory policymaking, new taxation, and social licensing to embed the economy within social values.

Despite its growing influence in academic discourse and regional policy debates, public transport remains underexplored within the Foundational Economy... (More)
This thesis explores the structure and potential future of public transport in Mainz, Germany, through the lens of the Foundational Economy. The Foundational Economy, a broad project developed by several European scholars, offers a critique of neoliberalism by advocating for renewed policy attention to essential goods and services—such as public transport. The Foundational Economy reorients public policy toward collective well-being rather than economic growth, advocating for participatory policymaking, new taxation, and social licensing to embed the economy within social values.

Despite its growing influence in academic discourse and regional policy debates, public transport remains underexplored within the Foundational Economy framework. This study addresses that gap by analysing the structure and policies of public transport in Mainz. The thesis investigates the situation of public transport and its potential through qualitative thematic analysis based on interviews with local actors and public documents.

The thematic analysis results in three central themes: (1) structural friction between economic constraints and societal ambition, (2) administrative complexity and political multiplicity, and 3) fare restructuring as a catalyst for structural change. Findings reveal that public transport in Mainz is widely recognised as a service of general interest with significant social and ecological value. Yet, its provision remains entangled in competition-driven and supply-side logics, with quality prioritised over accessibility and fare equity. Furthermore, the organisation and structure are deeply overly complex, hampering fundamental reforms.

The thesis suggests that both free-fare and low-fare public transport models offer potential alignment with the Foundational Economy if implemented as part of broader efforts to re-embed economic activities within social values and not aligned to the neoliberal paradigm. (Less)
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author
Jäger, Marco Joaquin Yagul LU
supervisor
organization
course
SGEM08 20251
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Foundational Economy, public transport, free-fare public transport, low-fare public transport, neoliberalism
language
English
id
9194159
date added to LUP
2025-06-09 10:35:33
date last changed
2025-06-09 10:35:33
@misc{9194159,
  abstract     = {{This thesis explores the structure and potential future of public transport in Mainz, Germany, through the lens of the Foundational Economy. The Foundational Economy, a broad project developed by several European scholars, offers a critique of neoliberalism by advocating for renewed policy attention to essential goods and services—such as public transport. The Foundational Economy reorients public policy toward collective well-being rather than economic growth, advocating for participatory policymaking, new taxation, and social licensing to embed the economy within social values.

Despite its growing influence in academic discourse and regional policy debates, public transport remains underexplored within the Foundational Economy framework. This study addresses that gap by analysing the structure and policies of public transport in Mainz. The thesis investigates the situation of public transport and its potential through qualitative thematic analysis based on interviews with local actors and public documents.

The thematic analysis results in three central themes: (1) structural friction between economic constraints and societal ambition, (2) administrative complexity and political multiplicity, and 3) fare restructuring as a catalyst for structural change. Findings reveal that public transport in Mainz is widely recognised as a service of general interest with significant social and ecological value. Yet, its provision remains entangled in competition-driven and supply-side logics, with quality prioritised over accessibility and fare equity. Furthermore, the organisation and structure are deeply overly complex, hampering fundamental reforms.

The thesis suggests that both free-fare and low-fare public transport models offer potential alignment with the Foundational Economy if implemented as part of broader efforts to re-embed economic activities within social values and not aligned to the neoliberal paradigm.}},
  author       = {{Jäger, Marco Joaquin Yagul}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Political Will Exists, Political Majorities Are Unclear. How public transport is structured in Mainz - and how it could be reimagined: A Foundational Economy perspective}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}