How is it possible to reduce our dependency on the car in everyday life? Are car sharing, carpooling and electromobility good alternatives? These questions were discussed with citizens from the district of Osnabrück and from the cities of Dortmund and Hagen at citizens' forums from 2019 to 2022 as part of the participatory research project 'Mobility Lab 2020' commissioned by the German Environment Agency and by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection. Subsequently, 24 people had the opportunity to take part in a six-month test phase and try out alternative forms of mobility in everyday life. The aim of the test phase was to use private car sharing, carpooling, a pedelec, e-bike or a public transport subscription on a trial basis over a longer period of time and to check whether these offers are suitable alternatives to the private car. At an evaluation workshop, the results were assessed with the participants and subsequently summarized with the citizens to messages to the politicians. These 'citizens' messages' were handed over to representatives of the German Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for the Environment on 24 June 2022.
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