How transport needs to change to meet climate goals
These “contentious transport measures” are the focus of the project, because if we want to meet climate goals, and cut other pollution, improve road safety and make our cities nicer places to be, then more of these measures need to be put in place in more towns and cities. Of course these “contentious” measures are not always very popular, and so politicians often do not like them.
The project has researched in detail some cases where such measures have been implemented, not implemented, or are planned to be implemented – these include cases in Oslo, Fredrikstad, Sandnes, and Helsingborg in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark. It has also surveyed politicians and analysed media coverage to find out what, and who, really shapes politicians’ views of these measures. We want to see how different forms of public participation and public protest affect politicians’ willingness to approve “contentious” measures. We have also looked to see how public participation can be improved and made more in-depth and include people who maybe don’t take part at the moment.
Finally, towards the end of 2024, the project will produce a Handbook for planners and politicians on how to better involve the public in decision-making about parking pricing, charging for road use, or removing parking spaces, to – hopefully – increase the chances that more such things will be implemented, in more cities, in future. The project is a collaboration between partners in Norway, Sweden and Spain and will also work in Denmark, and will run from 2021 to 2024. It will also work in Denmark and will run from 2021 to 2025.
Read about the study
Download the finalized report (.pdf)
Initial findings
The study has identified three key dimensions of public interaction with municipalities in the context of implementing contentious transport measures (CTM), offering valuable insights into an integrated approach to this complex process and its impact on project outcomes. The three dimensions encompass the actions of protesters, the efforts of municipalities to engage the public in planning processes, and coherence between various municipal policy domains.
We have observed that a combination of policy incoherence and certain forms of protest can significantly influence the outcome of planned projects. Our analysis indicates a relationship between low levels of public participation and the utilization of disruptive protest forms. To mitigate protest risks, projects must be firmly anchored at political, administrative, and community levels. Local authorities must acknowledge that garnering support among inhabitants where the measure is to be implemented may prove challenging, as public participation activities may not always be acknowledged, recognized, or remembered by their intended audience.
In contrast to findings in certain protest studies, our research reveals that it is not necessarily the affluent and politically well-connected who prevail. Instead, we assert that focused and cohesive protester organizations can wield significant influence. Notably, the study underscores that policy incoherence poses a critical challenge for municipal authorities embarking on CTM implementation, emphasizing the importance of clarifying project coherence to the public and actively addressing any perceived inconsistencies.
