Rationalities and materialities of light rail scapes

City boosterism and place-making with light rail transit: A critical review of light rail impacts on city image and quality

“…From this perspective, transport becomes an agent in the production of space; a conceptual contrast from more traditional views of transport as something that moves across a surface or within a contained space (Cresswell and Merriman 2010;Knowles 2006). Olesen and Lassen (2016) provide a unique insight to light rail as agent. They draw on Appadurai's (1990) conception of 'scapes' to propose 'light rail scapes' as an heterogeneous mix of "trains, tracks, stations, masts, stops, train designs and colors" as well as "politics, discourses and metaphors" (p.374).…”

Technological frames and the politics of automated electric Light Rail Rapid Transit in Poland and the United Kingdom

“…As such, critically examining the development of LRT systems helps reveal the coevolving nature of technology and infrastructure with mobility patterns as well as user preferences, forms of planning, and business models. This all suggests that LRT projects need to be rethought as complex urban development projects instead of just simple "pieces of infrastructure" (Knowles and Ferbrache 2016;Olesen and Lassen 2016). Here we critically unpack such dimensions through our exploration of the frames connected to two distinct LRT case studies, the DLR in London and the PRT in Opole, Poland.…”

“…LRT systems are credited with having multiple benefits, including being cheaper to construct and build than conventional metros and subways; enhanced accessibility and greater carrying capacity than both trains and buses; better traffic speeds compared to buses and cars; and displaced pollution and congestion from reduced car use (Gadzinski and Radzimski 2016;Olesen and Lassen 2016;Knowles 2007;Knowles 1992;Kołoś and Taczanowski 2016). Knowles and Ferbrache (2016: 371) therefore write "as an option for cities investing in transport infrastructure, modern light rail (tram and light metro) systems can be highly attractive."…”

Assessing the Contributions of Urban Light Rail Transit to the Sustainable Development of Addis Ababa

“…A study by [10] concludes that the emergence of light rail as a new mobility system is not just a matter of creating capacity and reducing travel time but has many other rationalities attached. The authors therefore believe that one of these rationalities is the desire to achieve sustainable development.…”