Co-designing future mobility - the importance of engaging citizens
Intro
The mobility of the future must be more sustainable. This transformation has already begun - but often without direct involvement of the key stakeholder: citizens. To achieve sustainability and innovation goals in the long term, a demand-oriented and multi-faceted vision of the future of mobility is needed. Dr Tom Vöge says that this can only be achieved if users and all their perspectives are actively involved.
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The direction of travel for future mobility is set
Climate protection, reducing air and noise pollution and improving road safety: the goals for the mobility of the future are clear, but at the same time we also need to make sure that mobility provision is flexible, affordable, and remains socially just. The climate goals of the transport sector and the limits for particulate matters have been widely discussed in the media. In addition, there are also policies that are less in the public eye, such as target values to combat traffic noise, plans to limit the space dedicated to road infrastructure and parking, and strategies for more road safety (e.g. Vision Zero). Likewise, social issues of mobility are becoming increasingly important, e.g. equitable access to transport, social exclusion, and fair use of space.
There are policies that are less in the public eye, such as target values to combat traffic noise, plans to limit the space dedicated to road infrastructure and parking, and strategies for more road safety
For all of these aims and objectives to apply to everyday mobility, all stakeholders involved need to be included in their implementation. Although most people agree on the principles of future mobility, concrete developments are often perceived as rather long-term. Mobility concerns us all; every day we make various mobility decisions. However, in making these decisions, we tend to focus less on the wider aim of sustainable mobility, but more on our individual short-term needs.
Why are citizens so important for future mobility?
This gap between short- and long-term goals threatens to slow down the achievement of sustainability and innovation goals. Good civic participation on the other hand increases the awareness of the necessary transformation in the mobility sector. At the same time, it offers decision-makers input for the design of relevant policies.
The discussion about the mobility of the future is comprehensive and controversial, often driven by advocacy groups, and discussed in silos. Many of the discussions are emotionally charged, influenced by business models, and marked by uncertainties. Scientific Findings are often interpreted differently around personal positions. But citizens tend to be more pragmatic in their everyday mobility and more interested in solutions to specific problems.
The involvement of citizens has the following concrete benefits for shaping future mobility:
- Raise awareness: Dialogue makes you aware that future mobility cannot mean business-as-usual. Citizens can reflect on their own mobility behaviour and discuss together what they want for a needs-based and future-oriented mobility system.
- Create incentives: Policies need to be both effective and socially acceptable to encourage future-oriented mobility behaviour. Dialogues with citizens must present complex (incentive) instruments, give space for discussion, and make outcomes transparent to all citizens.
- Set regulation: To achieve the climate goals, the mobility system must be governed through regulatory tools. Such regulations have so far been discussed very one-sided. Politicians need to inform citizens about the underlying reasons, policy options, and implications.
Findings are often interpreted differently around personal positions, but citizens tend to be more pragmatic in their everyday mobility and more interested in solutions to specific problems
