Designing Sustainable Urban Transitions to Active Mobility: Copenhagen and Barcelona
Author
Estellers Moreno, Jaume
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2024
Submitted on
2024-06-06
Pages
111
Abstract
This thesis compares the state of active mobility—walking and cycling—in Copenhagen and Barcelona to understand how cities can design sustainable transitions toward more active travel. Guided by the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) on sociotechnical change, it develops and applies an 'Active City' framework spanning three dimensions (policy environment, social environment, and streetscape) to assess conditions, barriers, and opportunities in both contexts. A comparative, mixed-methods design combines document and plan analysis, municipal datasets, resident surveys, and expert interviews to examine culture and social acceptance, perceptions of safety, accessibility and inclusivity, infrastructure and facilities, digital infrastructure and public transport interfaces, and governance and politics. The study finds notable differences in each city’s approach and emphasizes that successful shifts to active mobility require a holistic, context-sensitive strategy that aligns political commitment, social acceptance, and street design. Drawing on the MLP, it proposes city-specific niche interventions intended to challenge elements of the prevailing sociotechnical regime and build momentum for change. The thesis concludes that by exchanging lessons and best practices, Copenhagen and Barcelona can accelerate progress toward healthier, more livable, and more sustainable urban mobility.
Dette speciale sammenligner tilstanden for aktiv mobilitet—gang og cykling—i København og Barcelona for at forstå, hvordan byer kan designe bæredygtige omstillinger mod mere aktiv transport. Med udgangspunkt i Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) på socioteknisk forandring udvikles og anvendes en 'Active City'-ramme med tre dimensioner (politisk ramme, socialt miljø og gaderum) til at vurdere vilkår, barrierer og muligheder i begge kontekster. Et komparativt, mixed-methods design kombinerer dokument- og plananalyse, kommunale datasæt, borgerundersøgelser og ekspertinterviews for at undersøge kultur og social accept, sikkerhedsopfattelser, tilgængelighed og inklusion, infrastruktur og faciliteter, digital infrastruktur og sammenhænge til kollektiv trafik samt styring og politik. Studiet finder markante forskelle i byernes tilgange og understreger, at vellykkede skift til aktiv mobilitet kræver en holistisk, kontekstfølsom strategi, der samler politisk vilje, social accept og gaderumsdesign. Med afsæt i MLP foreslås byspecifikke nicheinterventioner, der kan udfordre elementer i den dominerende sociotekniske regime og skabe momentum for forandring. Specialet konkluderer, at ved at udveksle erfaringer og bedste praksis kan København og Barcelona accelerere overgangen mod sundere, mere levende og bæredygtige bymobiliteter.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]