Soft-mobility in a winter-dominant city: A case study by comparing Nordic and non-Nordic residents in Umeå

Abstract

Outdoor microclimate is one important factor influencing the amenity of outdoor spaces. The optimisation of urban and spatial planning, building facades, and road design can serve to moderate negative effects on human movement in long and harsh winter conditions, which can also help promote polar tourism. This study explores the impacts of weather on the use of non-motorised transport (soft mobility). The aim of this study is to highlight the barriers to soft mobility for the purposes of local urban planning and polar tourism in the winter-dominant city of Umeå, Sweden. Influential factors including solar access, wind and snow management, and other weather and terrain conditions were analysed, and possible solutions were pointed out. A questionnaire survey, given to 211 Nordic and non-Nordic residents, was the main research method. Compared with non-Nordic residents, Nordic residents were more likely to use modes of soft mobility under five different winter weather conditions, including rain, snow, darkness, ice, and low temperatures. The designs for winter-dominant cities (i.e. connections between buildings, enclosed bus stops) concerning climate barriers such as rain and snow alternation, are expected as possible solutions for intermittent outdoor exposure.