Ana Gil Solá

Senior Lecturer

Human Geography

Telephone

+46 31-786 44 57

Mail

ana.gilsola@geography.gu.se

Visiting address

Viktoriagatan 13

41125 Göteborg

Postal address

Box 625

40530 Göteborg

About Ana Gil Solá

My main area of research and teaching concerns social aspects related to people’s everyday life mobility and accessibility.

Apart from teaching (as a lecturer), during 2024-2025 I research within the project “Telework, the pandemic and the energy-efficient city – transformative opportunities, challenges and tensions”, funded by Swedish Energy Agency. The aim of the project is to increase knowledge about the opportunities and challenges of telework in a continued transition towards an ecologically and socially sustainable working and everyday life and for the advancement of 'dense' and energy-efficient cities and regions.

Recently completed research concerns how densification of urban areas affects people's gendered everyday lives. Our results show that both women and men appreciate and benefit from activities available in their local area. Nearby options are chosen mainly to save time and/or be able to walk or bike. Neighborhoods also contribute to the fulfilment of various overarching goals in everyday life (so-called life projects) by: making everyday life run smoothly; enabling independence in everyday mobility and activity; making people feel at home and rooted; allowing environmentally friendly living; and facilitating convenient recreation and exercise. Walking is an important part of the goals that the local area contributes to. Regarding gender, the study shows that even if both women and men appreciate and benefit from local opportunities, it is more crucial for women. This is related to the fact that they often have a greater caring responsibility and that they drive less often and walk more often.

Since 2018 I also coordinate the Network Socially Sustainable Transport Planning together with planners from The Gothenburg Region (GR). The network aims to increase understanding and knowledge exchange between planning and research.

I’ve also done research, and teach about, how social impact assessments (SIA) can be implemented within a Swedish planning context. In a research project that ended 2020 we followed the case of Metrobuss and their work with a SIA, as well as tested a method for developing knowledge within SIA focusing people’s everyday lives. Materials from this project was developed into a course for planners that was held for the first time in 2023. I was pedagogical expert in the development of the course, and teacher during the course.

I was awarded the Pam Fredman Prize 2024, for "valuable contributions to social sustainability and lifelong learning".

On other web sites

Research areas

People’s everyday life mobility and accessibility
Gender and work travel/mobility
Planning for sustainable accessibility
Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in Swedish transport planning

Teaching areas

Mobility and gender
Sustainable accessibility, social exclusion and urban planning
Planning for everyday life and social inclusion/gender equality
Social Impact Assessment (SIA)
GIS