A collaborative appraisal framework to evaluate transport policies for improving air quality in city centres

Abstract

Transport policies for improving air quality are increasingly being implemented in city centres across the world. While the effectiveness of those policies is markedly affected by a strong social controversy, one missing element is the role that stakeholders engagement can play in identifying impacts and potential implementation strategies. This paper diverges from other commonly accepted approaches by allowing stakeholders evaluate a set of transport policies for improving air quality. The city of Madrid (Spain), where there is a clear intention to restrict traffic in its centre, was taken as case study. Local stakeholders were engaged in a series of semi-structure interviews and a final face-to-face workshop to evaluate the potential impacts, acceptability, and feasibility of eight transport policies. Results show two distinct viewpoints: stakeholders from public institutions and eco-mobility sectors; and stakeholders linked to retail, logistics, and car-sharing services. Consensus between those two groups was hard to achieve for three specific policies: (i) license-plate restrictions; (ii) charges to motor vehicles; and (iii) development of walking and cycling infrastructure. The paper outlines the methodological process, reflects on the usefulness of stakeholder engagement in the policy-making process, and concludes with a discussion on the acceptability of the evaluated transport policies in the local context of Madrid.