Mobility strand

[Ana-Marija]

Hello, I am having difficulty understanding this phrase: mobility strand. It is mentioned in a document regarding innovative transport solutions, but there isn't much useful context.

Here is a part of the text:

A break down of tasks carried out includes:

• Desk research

• Drafting of Guidelines on Strategic Plans on intermodal mobility solutions and pilot actions results.

• Review and analysis of national and regional guidelines, transportation plans, mobility strands, and feasibility studies related with the impact in environment and local economies.

Google hasn't been of much help either. There are some hits, but I haven't been able to wrap my mind around the concept. Could someone help?

 

[PaulQ]

Is this written in BE or AE?

 

[Ana-Marija]

I am afraid I can't tell as several people drafted the document (none of them native speakers of English) and the English used throughout is inconsistent.
It was written for the purposes of an EU project.

 

[PaulQ]

It was written for the purposes of an EU project.

It is doomed!

In BE, a strand is several lines of thought brought together but still incomplete; a draft article or articles, an incomplete document or set of documents on a subject, a series of remarks and/or notes on a subject.

Mobility in BE is often means "related to transport issues that affect the disabled." In a broader sense, it refers to the efficient use of transport (usually for some particular reason).

Absent context or even a title, I think that is as far as I can go.

 

[Ana-Marija]

Thanks anyway (and yes, it is definitely doomed)

 

[Linkway]

The word "strand" is used extensively in European Commission documentation and I see no reason to deprecate the use of that word in the many EC documents that I have seen. It is not only physicists, poets and grammarians that need to adopt new vocabulary and adapt them to the needs of their very important work.

"Strand" in the EC is used to refer to clearly identifiable components of a larger initiative, programme or project. Priorities, funding, timescales and deliverables are typically identified not merely for the initiative, programme or project as a whole, but for each strand and/or for items within a strand.

You only have to google for [ european commission "strand" ] for numerous examples.

In the example sentence the asker gave, "mobility strand" is obviously refers to the strand concerned with mobility, but, as Paul says, the meaning of mobility depends very much on context and the example sentence has been taken out of context or with insufficient contextualization for this discussion.

The mobility referred to might be, for example: (a) social mobility in general; (b) vertical or horizontal labour mobility; (c) geographical mobility such as rural-urban, or between countries; (d) other kinds of mobility within economic and business contexts; (e) physical mobility for people with impaired movement such as inability to walk.

------------

Here is a specific EC/EU page that exemplifies the use of "strand":
Europe for Citizens - EACEA - European Commission

You will see various priorities identified for:
European Remembrance (Strand 1)
European Remembrance (Strand 2)

 

[Ana-Marija]

Thank you.

I am afraid there has been a misunderstanding - no one was trying to deprecate the use of the word or the need for new terminology, but rather the document in which it was found (which was poorly written and therefore 'doomed').

Your explanation has been very helpful, thank you for taking the time to explain.