Involving users and user roles in the transition to sustainable mobility systems: The case of light electric vehicle sharing in Sweden

Sopjani, Liridona; Stier, Jenny Janhager; Ritzén, Sofia; Hesselgren, Mia; Georén, Peter

doi:10.1016/j.trd.2018.12.011

Cited by 38 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…The framework can be useful for other studies to analyze the transition trajectories toward alternative systems. However, the system users and their demands can have an influential role in the transformation of urban systems and the emergence of system alternatives [36,37]. Further studies are needed to analyze their agency in technology-driven transitions in different contexts.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Tech Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam: An Actor Network Analysis

et al. 2020

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The agriculture and horticulture sector in the Netherlands is one of the most productive in the world. Although the sector is one of the most advanced and intense agricultural production systems worldwide, it faces challenges, such as climate change and environmental and social unsustainability of industrial production. To overcome these challenges, alternative food production initiatives have emerged, especially in large cities such as Amsterdam. Some initiatives involve producing food in the urban environment, supported by new technologies and practices, so-called high-tech urban agriculture (HTUA). These initiatives make cultivation of plants inside and on top of buildings possible and increase green spaces in urban areas. The emerging agricultural technologies are creating new business environments that are shape d by technology developers (e.g., suppliers of horticultural light emitting diodes (LED) and control environment systems) and developers of alternative food production practices (e.g., HTUA start-ups). However, research shows that the uptake of these technological innovations in urban planning processes is problematic. Therefore, this research analyzes the barriers that local government planners and HTUA developers are facing in the embedding of HTUA in urban planning processes, using the city of Amsterdam as a case study. This study draws on actor-network theory (ANT) to analyze the interactions between planners, technologies, technology developers and developers of alternative food production practices. Several concepts of ANT are integrated into a multi-level perspective on sustainability transitions (MLP) to create a new theoretical framework that can explain how interactions between technologies and planning actors transform the incumbent social–technical regime. The configuration of interactions between social and material entities in technology development and adoption processes in Amsterdam is analyzed through the lens of this theoretical framework. The data in this study were gathered by tracing actors and their connections by using ethnographic research methods. In the course of the integration of new technologies into urban planning practices, gaps between technologies, technology developers, and planning actors have been identified. The results of this study show a lacking connection between planning actors and technology developers, although planning actors do interact with developers of alternative food production practices. These interactions are influenced by agency of artefacts such as visualizations of the future projects. The paper concludes that for the utilization of emerging technologies for sustainability transition of cities, the existing gap between technology developers and planning actors needs to be bridged through the integration of technology development visions in urban agendas and planning processes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Tech Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam: An Actor Network Analysis

et al. 2020

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“…It contributes 14% of all global GHG emissions (Lee et al 2018 ), mostly as a consequence of road transportation (Fan et al 2018 ). Alternative sustainable technologies, as such, are one possible solution, and transforming consumer habits and lifestyles are another (Kramberger et al 2014 ; Cramton et al 2018 ; McCollum et al 2017 ; Sopjani et al 2018 ). In this respect, unveiling the consumers’ attitudes, preferences, and decision factors towards zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) is necessary for the formulation of effective policy measures, the effective commercialization and promotion of ZEVs for post-fossil and more sustainable personal transportation (Bockarjova and Steg 2014 ; Komiyama and Kraines, 2008 ; Fan et al 2018 ) that has become “an embraced goal” of many countries around the world.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Features influencing policy recommendations for the promotion of zero-emission vehicles in Slovenia, Spain, and Poland

Knez

Jereb

Gago

et al. 2020

Clean Techn Environ Policy

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To make society more sustainable, cleaner transportation technologies, such as zero-emission vehicles and sustainable mobility, are being investigated, promoted, and supported by different policy measures. The emphasis of this paper is determining the zero-emission vehicle features that can influence specific policy recommendations; this understanding can boost zeroemission vehicle use as a potential cleaner transportation technology among different consumer segments in different EU member states. A customer-oriented study of over 1500 Slovenians, Spaniards, and Poles revealed the most relevant zeroemission vehicle-purchasing features are: (a) vehicle price and (b) fuel economy. The percentage of potential zero-emission vehicle buyers is said to rise to 80% should the price of electric cars decrease and fuel price increase accordingly, i.e. by 30% and 50%, respectively. Concerning the car price, Slovenian and Polish consumers' preferences are similar, and 40% of them (and up to 85% of Spaniards) would consider buying one if the price drops by 25%. Women in all three studied countries are more interested in zero-emission vehicles than men are. Different policies should be used in Poland, where people are not as interested in zero-emission vehicles as Spanish and Slovenian consumers are. Customer segmentation in all three groups pointed out that Poland has the highest share (19%) of "No-green" consumers, whereas Spain has the highest share (60%) of "Go-green" consumers, i.e. consumers who would consider buying a zero-emission vehicle in the foreseeable future.

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“…We acknowledge this is a challenge. Nevertheless, studies identify numerous benefits of user involvement, for example enhancing user satisfaction and acceptance of the innovation (Hyysalo, 2016;Sopjani et al, 2019;von Hippel, 2005) as well offer numerous approaches involving users (see De Vries, Van Waes, Van Est, Van Der Meulen, & Brom, 2015, p. 65).…”

Section: Conclusion and Policy Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…From a user perspective, a smart mobility transition implies that users would have to change their mobility behaviour (Mont, 2004;Schot & Geels, 2008;Sopjani, Stier, Ritzén, Hesselgren, & Georén, 2019), by following real-time traffic and travel advice to avoid traffic jams, or using car-and ride-sharing applications. This transition path reinforces that the challenge for smart mobility transition is not merely designing the innovations, but also implementing them in ways that stimulate users to change their travel behaviour (Sopjani et al, 2019). In other words, the challenge is about designing smart mobility innovations that match user needs, and knowing user needs also requires involving users in the design process (Hyysalo, 2016;Kujala, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smart mobility innovation policy as boundary work: identifying the challenges of user involvement

2020

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In 2013 the Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and Water Management initiated a policy programme that aimed to develop a transition towards smart mobility. A Roadmap was developed to support the policy innovation programme because previous initiatives have failed due to the lack of a strategic document. The Roadmap's first transition pathway (policy goal) called for a development of a user-centric smart mobility. We analysed how this policy goal has been enacted. We conducted 32 semistructured interviews with relevant smart mobility practitioners, which we have analysed through our theoretical framework consisting of three boundary concepts: boundary work, boundary objects and boundary organisations. Additionally, we have drawn from the literature on user-involvement. The boundary concepts have led us to identifying two main challenges that led to an unsuccessful realisation of the policy goal. One, the responsibilities for involving users have been transferred to numerous actors, who renegotiated the goals assigned to them by the Ministry, resorting to their old techno-centric innovating ways. The dominance of the techno-centric perspective acted as a barrier and inhibited a successful implementation of a more usercentric approach. Two, a key criterion for successful realisation of the pathwaynamely, the support of an organisation specifically held accountable for realising the pathwaywas absent. In our conclusion we provide recommendations for a more successful user-inclusion, as well as reflections on the state of the smart mobility policy in The Netherlands.

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Involving users and user roles in the transition to sustainable mobility systems: The case of light electric vehicle sharing in Sweden

Cited by 38 publications

References 58 publications

High-Tech Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam: An Actor Network Analysis

High-Tech Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam: An Actor Network Analysis

Features influencing policy recommendations for the promotion of zero-emission vehicles in Slovenia, Spain, and Poland

Smart mobility innovation policy as boundary work: identifying the challenges of user involvement

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