The good life with mobility within planetary boundaries? Södertälje residents on sustainable local travel
What might local travel within planetary boundaries look like – and does it align with residents’ own ideas of the good life? Both yes and no, according to the results of a study conducted in Södertälje, a municipality in Region Stockholm, Sweden.
The study was based on two workshops held in two neighbourhoods with very different socio-economic profiles in Södertälje. The aim was to explore how, and to what extent, travel within the so-called doughnut model’s boundaries (see fact box) corresponds with the participants’ own visions of the good life, and what is required for a vision of mobility within planetary boundaries to gain legitimacy when it involves less and slower travel for many.
The results, now published in the International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, show that the participants viewed changes in travel positively when it meant better public transport and improved cycling and walking infrastructure, as well as a healthier lifestyle as a side effect – all of which aligned with their own ideas of the good life. At the same time, they were less comfortable with becoming more dependent on shared mobility solutions or facing longer travel times, and some were negative about giving up fossil-fuel cars.
Freedom and flexibility matter – but so does community
Walking, cycling, public transport, as well as car and air travel were all important elements in the residents’ visions. They valued the freedom, flexibility, speed and spontaneity that the car provides, and expressed concerns about transport costs and limited options for people with disabilities, as well as for older people and those without a driving licence.
At the same time, many were positive about a richer local life, with less everyday travel and more community. Local shops and proximity to schools, jobs and meeting places such as libraries and swimming pools were highlighted as key factors.
“We were surprised that local community and conditions that promote it played such a significant role. Many aspects of mobility and accessibility within the doughnut’s boundaries were assessed by participants from this perspective,” says Claus Hedegaard Sørensen, Senior Researcher at VTI and K2, who led the study.
Concrete visions for everyday life
The study also showed that participants found it easier to relate concrete aspects of daily life to their vision of the good life than abstract concepts such as ‘sustainability’ and ‘planetary boundaries’.
“Overall, we see that support for visions of mobility within the doughnut’s boundaries depends partly on whether these visions address issues of community, proximity, freedom, flexibility and spontaneity, and partly on whether they are concrete and encompass life – and not just mobility or transport,” says Claus Hedegaard Sørensen.
The study is part of the K2 project The role and characteristics of public transport between planetary and social boundaries: thresholds, scenarios and positive visions, led by Claus Hedegaard Sørensen. His research focuses on the transition of the transport sector and, in particular, how legitimacy can be achieved for less and slower mobility.
Co-author of the article is Fredrik Pettersson-Löfstedt, researcher at Lund University and K2.
Link to the article:
Visions of life with less mobility. Can the doughnut model gain legitimacy? – tandfonline.com
Facts: The doughnut model
The doughnut model illustrates how humanity can live within the planet’s ecological boundaries while meeting basic social needs. Its shape shows this through an outer circle representing planetary limits, and an inner circle showing social limits. Between these circles lies the safe and just space where we can live sustainably.
Facts: The project The role and characteristics of public transport between planetary and social boundaries: thresholds, scenarios and positive visions
Researchers examined how public transport in Södertälje could be adapted to global goals for social and environmental sustainability. The background is that our current lifestyle is not sustainable and that access to resources and transport opportunities is unevenly distributed. Using the doughnut model, planetary boundaries for local transport were defined, and future scenarios were developed through simulations. Researchers also studied how doughnut visions could be communicated to residents and gain legitimacy. One assumption was that many people would need to travel less and more slowly than today – and that this could meet resistance.
Text: Anna Maria Erling
Image: Gamma-Man/Mostphotos