More than Getting Around - What Impacts the Mobility Practices of the Residents of Aalborg

Jørgensen, Frans Skjelbo ; Guiance, Federico Luis

4. term

Culture, Communication and Globalization, Master

2023

2023-05-29

104 pages

Purpose: This research has been conducted with the purpose of investigating into the practices of Aalborg residents when it comes to transportation, what are the factors that condition these practices and what could be a motivator for the recrafting or substitution of those practices into more sustainably friendly options, something that, due to the current situation of, amongst others, climate change, becomes quite relevant. It was also seen that the case of Aalborg is not isolated, with other smaller-sized cities also turning to more sustainable transportation solutions. Design/Methodology/Approach: Having into consideration the relevant case design, the data gathered for this research came in the form of surveys and one-on-one interviews. Afterwards, a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on these qualitative (and, in some cases, quantitative) data, generating certain themes and codes that were in constant review (following the hermeneutical approach chosen). Structure: As expected, this research is divided into concrete and connected sections to facilitate its comprehension. First and foremost, a general introduction on the topic is done, followed by the explanation of the limitations found and the current state of transportation in Aalborg. Afterwards, a literature review is done, together with an explanation on the theoretical approach chosen. Finally, the methodological approach is detailed, followed by the scientific approach and the chosen methodology to analyse the data. The latter part of the research concludes with an analysis, continued by a discussion, and closed by a conclusion. Findings: After conducting the relevant analysis, and having in consideration the theoretical approach, the literature review, the epistemological and ontological perspectives from hermeneutics, and the methodological approach, including a “most likely” case type, it can be seen that residents of Aalborg base their transportation practices in a multitude of factors, where feelings such as freedom, convenience, commodity, and so on stand out. This, in turn, affects how they perceive their city and how they position themselves in the face of sustainable transportation, and, due to the nature of the case type, it can be suggested that these barriers that affect transportation practices might also be encountered in other similar-sized European cities.

practice theory ; transport practices ; sustainable transportation ; Aalborg ; hermeneutics ; freedom ; conveniece ; urban design

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