Transition of the mobility system in Madrid

Tormo Castello, Alonso

4. term

Sustaianable Cities, Master

2018

2018-06-07

87 pages

A transition entails a change from a socio-technical system which is established in society to an emerging one that is pushed forward by niche actors. This process is undergone because it represents the best way to improve the overall sustainability of the system. Transport systems in cities need to transition from the automobile regime to the bicycle niche because it is the fastest mode in the city, it does not pollute and increases social welfare and healthiness. I have studied the transition of the mobility system in Madrid, where transport stakeholders are to a certain extent managing the transition process since about a decade by being able to adapt to the changing circumstances from the regime and landscape level and at the same time utilising the opportunities that temporary measures like the bike priority lane produce to bring about the bike system and leave behind the car regime, so far. I have based the research on qualitative data from literature and 6 interviews with key stakeholders in the process. Moreover, I have used the theories of MLP and Transition Management to analyse the topic. I could conclude that the bike priority lane is supporting the transition because it helps constitute the bike as a utilitarian mode that southern European countries are lacking, with a low budget and prompts a future smoother transformation of the traffic lane to a bike lane.

socio-technical system ; car regime ; transition ; Transition Management ; Multi-Level Perspective ; bicycle ; mobility system ; Madrid

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