Transport planning for a sustainable society

Project leader: Berit Balfors, SEED, KTH

Participants: Sofia Eckersten, PhD-student, SEED, KTH; Ulrika Gunnarsson Östling, Docent, co-supervisor, SEED, KTH

Project period: 2020-2023

Funding: Swedish Transport Administration

Keywords: Early transport planning, Strategic Choice of Measures, environmental aspects, collaboration, landscape analysis, land-use planning

Project description

The Swedish Transport Administration (STA) plays an important role in shaping the transport system as part of a sustainable society. The project “Transport planning for a sustainable society: Vision, Collaboration and nvironmental functions in Strategic Choice of Measures” will investigate how the Strategic Choice of Measures (SCM) process can be developed to promote the development of a sustainable society. The overall aim of the project is to contribute to the improvement of STA’s planning for an efficient, modern, and sustainable transport system that supports a transition to a sustainable society, i.e. a transport system that provides accessibility in a sustainable society and contributes to achieving the transport policy goals and Agenda 2030. Specifically, three challenges are addressed; (1) to create new forms of support to further develop transport planning's capacity to integrate sustainability goals (2) to develop a coherent target image that can guide the planning of actions at regional and local level, (3) to strengthen collaboration between the Swedish Transport Administration and various societal actors to create a common problem and target definition as the basis for designing integrated solutions that fit local conditions and needs. To meet the above challenges, the research project will focus on improving the ability to manage sustainability aspects, environmental aspects in particular, in SCM. The following overall project objectives have been formulated: (1) to contribute to strengthening environmental functions in SCM through an integrated vision for how planning of the transport system will contribute to the transition to a sustainable society and by creating a better link between goals and choice of measures. (2) to contribute to better coordination between SCM and other planning processes to promote coordinated planning of sustainable transport systems. (3) to contribute to improved collaboration and coordination within SCM with the help of new knowledge and technology.

A qualitative research approach will be applied including literature and document studies, interview studies, 3 workshops/seminars, and 2 case studies. One case study focuses on SCM practice in the “Region Mitt” (STA) where new approaches to SCM are tested and the other case study focuses on an SCM process in the Stockholm region (Frescati-Brunnsviken-Bergshamra), which has a sustainability focus. In addition, the project will include an exchange of knowledge between the Nordic countries to identify successful approaches to sustainable transport planning.