Professor Eva Heinen's significant contributions to transport science are rooted in her unique interdisciplinary approach, blending architecture, urban planning, and psychology. Her work fundamentally shifts transport planning from vehicle-centric models to human-centered solutions, prioritizing well-being, health, and social equity. This holistic approach is often referred to as the "Heinen Paradigm".
A core pillar of her research is understanding the psychology of mobility. She challenged traditional models, proving that travel choice is significantly influenced by social and psychological factors like personal self-identity and social norms. Her studies on bicycle commuting highlighted that factors such as "direct trip-based benefits," "awareness," and "safety" attitudes, along with cycling habits and colleagues' expectations, are crucial determinants. Additionally, her work on modal variability demonstrated that the majority of adults are multimodal, and policies should focus on changing the relative use of different modes.
Heinen's research also bridges transport, urban form, and public health. At the Cambridge Medical Research Council (MRC), she demonstrated that transport infrastructure can act as a public health intervention, with new cycle paths significantly increasing physical activity levels, even for previously inactive individuals. She developed comprehensive frameworks to evaluate the complex health impacts of transport, including air pollution, noise, and accident risks alongside activity benefits.
More recently, Professor Heinen has been a key figure in advancing micromobility and systemic urban transformation. As a co-investigator of the UK's ELEVATE project, her research on e-cargo bikes showed that users, despite similar car ownership, drive less frequently and engage in more physical activity. Notably, over 50% of e-cargo bike mileage directly replaced car trips, demonstrating significant potential for decarbonization. She also contributed to a broader socio-technical definition of micromobility, emphasizing the entire ecosystem of practices, policies, culture, and infrastructure.
Her recent work extends to conceptualizing car dependence as the inability to participate in activities satisfactorily without a car, moving beyond mere car use or ownership. This holistic view considers objective and subjective individual factors, as well as the built and natural environments. As a lead researcher on large-scale international projects like FRESH (Freight-Shopping nexus) and the Swiss Mobility Panel, she continues to drive systemic change through evidence-based, policy-relevant research.
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