Implementation of utility cycling in Norway to reach the zero-growth goal

Yasotharan, Nivetha ; Fevang, Martine

4. Term

Urban, Energy and Environmental Planning, Master

2023

100

This thesis examines how travelers’ behavior and attitudes toward utility cycling can support Norway’s aims to increase cycling and achieve the zero-growth goal. Using the Mobilities Turn as a grounding perspective and Practice Theory (Shove’s elements: materials, competences, and meanings) as the applied framework, the study focuses on commuting to three train stations (Hauketo, Grorud, and Lørenskog) through desk research, site analyses of physical conditions, and a survey of travelers’ attitudes. Findings indicate that planning currently emphasizes physical materials such as cycling infrastructure, facilities, and parking, which can help increase cycling but are not sufficient on their own. Competences and meanings are crucial to cycling practice and are strongly influenced by the design of the cycle network and station environments. Shifts in norms, values, and social understandings of cycling are also needed to change behavior and attitudes. Viewing cycling through the lens of practice theory provides a way to identify weak links between materials, competences, and meanings and to target interventions that can promote utility cycling to train stations and support national ambitions for a higher cycling share.

Denne thesis undersøger, hvordan rejsendes adfærd og holdninger til nyttecykling kan understøtte Norges mål om at øge cykelandelen og nå nullvækstmålet. Med Mobilities Turn som grundlæggende teori og Praksisteori (Shoves elementer: materialer, kompetencer og betydninger) som anvendt ramme analyseres pendling til tre togstationer (Hauketo, Grorud og Lørenskog) gennem desk research, stedanalyse af de fysiske forhold og en spørgeskemaundersøgelse af rejsendes holdninger. Resultaterne viser, at planlægningens fokus på fysiske materialer som cykelinfrastruktur, faciliteter og parkering kan øge cykling, men ikke er tilstrækkeligt alene. Kompetencer og betydninger spiller en væsentlig rolle i cykelpraksis, og disse påvirkes især af udformningen af cykelnettet og stationsmiljøet. For at ændre rejsendes adfærd og holdninger kræves der også skift i normer, værdier og sociale forståelser af cykling. Praksisteoriens blik på forbindelserne mellem materialer, kompetencer og betydninger giver et værktøj til at identificere svage led og pege på mere målrettede indsatser, der kan fremme nyttecykling til togstationer og støtte nationale mål om højere cykelandel.

[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]

bicycling ; infrastructure ; practice theory

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