Early involvement of stakeholders in mobility-related projects

Abstract

Early involvement of stakeholders could help identifying potential difficulties and providing input during the development period. The involvement of stakeholders is a key criterion for sustainable urban transportation planning. Stakeholders should be able to express their opinions and concerns while also contributing creative and innovative solutions to transportation issues. Therefore, the study’s goal is to give a voice to stakeholders who are generally mute or are not participating in the early planning stages (non-expert citizens). Semi-structured interviews were conducted over a two-week period, in addition to observations of mobility patterns and street talks. The analysis is conducted in response to the following research question: How early involvement of stakeholders in mobility-related projects might aid in the development of methodologies and strategies for enhanced active mobility with a case study in Trondheim city. The results are presented from three perspectives: active mobility obstacles in the Elgeseter district, active mobility drivers in the Elgeseter district, and viable solutions as perceived from the perspectives of experts and non-expert citizens. Based on the findings, comprehensive planning procedures covering everything from land use to municipal infrastructure design will be required. Such techniques are required to persuade people to use green, sustainable modes of transportation as a lifestyle choice rather than a legal requirement and involving citizens in project development at an early stage can be extremely effective in this regard. The study contributes to our understanding of the factors influencing commuters’ desire to engage in early phase of mobility related projects.