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For over 30years the context for transport policy in much of the developed world has been framed by neo-liberal economic values, which seek to maximise the role of market mechanisms in public policy and service provision. Although the pace of deregulation, privatisation and other reforms has varied between countries, neo-liberal ideas and practices have become increasingly important in the planning and delivery of transport across all modes. In recent years, however, there has been something of a retreat from this position as governments have sought to re-engage in the delivery of many areas of policy, including transportation, in response to a range of economic, social and political trends. This paper reviews the reasons for this re-engagement, applying inter alia the conceptualisations and theoretical approaches of the ‘new economic geography’ to explore the changing role of the state in 21st century transport. As such, the paper also serves to establish a background for the six following contributions to this special issue of the Journal of Transport Geography. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the context of an ageing population in Europe, our aim in this paper is to establish the extent to which national governments accommodate mobility among older people by promoting specific, age-friendly qualities of transport systems. We identify 11 qualities that help to promote mobility, and hence independence and social/economic inclusion, for older people. We analyse national-level government documents across the EU, Norway and Switzerland to determine how far they address each quality and conclude that disproportionate emphasis is currently being placed on the tangible and easily understood aspects of safety, barrier freedom and affordability. For various reasons, mobility among older people might better be promoted with a more rounded approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]