Cars as a status symbol: Youth attitudes toward sustainable transport in a post-socialist city

This article discusses the mobility intentions of adolescents in Tirana, Albania - one of the least studied areas of Central and Eastern Europe. The main research question - explored through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) - is whether now, nearly three decades after the demise of state socialism, cars are still considered as a necessity and/or a status symbol among adolescents This group never experienced socialism and its extreme restrictions on car ownership and use. Although Tirana is a very compact city with work, services, and social contacts typically within walking distance, the findings indicate that most adolescents in Tirana, including those who do not particularly like cars and driving, intend to purchase cars and drive in the future. Cars remain a strong status symbol. This does do not bode well for transport sustainability. If unchecked, adolescents' intentions might directly translate into car-dependent travel behavior in the future. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.