Small Cities and Growing Energy Constraints: Is the Cost of Mobility a Factor of Economic Vulnerability?[Les petites villes face à la montée des contraintes énergétiques : l’augmentation du coût de la mobilité, un facteur de vulnérabilité économique ? Études de cas dans le bassin d’Annecy]

The aim of this paper is to identify what are the economic stakes of energy transition in mobility for small cities. It is based on in-depth interviews with company directors and local authorities in three small cities of Annecy area. The findings highlight that energy price increases over the past few years have had huge consequences for companies: higher transport costs for the company, but also for employees, raising problems of recruitment and labor turnover. Thus road dependency seems to be a potential factor of economic vulnerability in small cities in this context of energy transition: companies may be weaken by fuel price increases and small cities lack of alternatives, because it is much more difficult to find adaptation strategies to energy transition in mobility in small cities than in metropolitan areas. However, we notice that the narrow relationship between private and public actors in these small cities can result in local solutions. By designing travel plans, by implementing public transport solutions, by providing access to public housing, local authorities help companies face these new constraints on mobility. But these are maybe only temporary solutions: in the forthcoming years, the crisis of public finances may limit policies implemented by public authorities in small cities.