Advancing Sustainable Transport Systems

QC240524

Abstract

Addressing cross-cutting issues such as climate change, urbanization, andenvironmental degradation in policy and planning is key for transitioning toa sustainable society. In the work of societal and transport systemdevelopment, the integration of environmental and sustainabilityperspectives has never been more crucial. In urban areas, the interconnection between transport and land use is evident, and integrated transport and land use planning plays an important role in promotingsustainable transport systems. However, both the integration ofenvironmental and sustainability considerations in transport planning and the integration of land use and transport planning are complex challenges.This thesis explores the consideration of environmental aspects andsustainability perspectives in strategic transport planning, with a focus onthe Swedish Strategic Choice of Measures (SCM) approach and lessonslearnt from planning approaches in the Nordic countries. The thesis is primarily based on case studies of SCM processes in the Stockholm region. Empirical material has been collected through observations of SCMs involving public officials from the Swedish Transport Administration,municipalities in Stockholm Region, and Stockholm's public transportauthority, as well as through semi-structured interviews, focus groupinterviews, informal interviews and document studies, with a qualitative research approach.The thesis is a compilation of four scientific papers. Three of the papers (1,2, and 4) discuss the SCM process, and in two of the papers (2 and 4), SCM processes in the Stockholm region are used as empirical cases of howstrategic choices of measures have been made in transport and land useplanning. Paper 3 explores and draws lessons from Nordic planning instruments to coordinate transport and land use planning with the aim of promoting sustainable development. The results highlight the difference between engaging and non-engagingenvironmental aspects and advocate for a systems perspective in planning to understand connections and promote holistic solutions. Planning approaches from different Nordic countries, such as the Finnish MAL and the Norwegian Urban Growth Agreements, demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating transport and land use planning through instruments based oncollaboration between transport and land use actors. The results also identify challenges related to fragmented transport and land use planning,and that actors' vary in their engagement when addressing environmental and sustainability considerations in the SCM planning context. Effective collaboration and sustainable choices of measures relies on knowledgeable professionals being capable of interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative thinking, being part of and coordinating the planning process, i.e.SCM. The use of Integrated Landscape Character Assessment (ILCA) can provide a framework for cross-actor collaboration and has the potential to identify multifunctional solutions contributing to a sustainable societal transition. Overall, the results of the thesis emphasize the importance of integrating environmental and sustainability perspectives into transport planning to promote sustainable development.

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