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Tensions and New Mobility Services in Sustainable Transport Futures
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering, Strategic Sustainability Studies.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4542-8700
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering, Strategic Sustainability Studies.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5327-6535
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Sustainable development, Environmental science and Engineering, Strategic Sustainability Studies.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8852-5458
(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

The transport system faces major challenges in meeting societal goals and climate targets. New Mobility Services (NMS) can contribute to more sustainable transport by facilitating mobility through ride and vehicle sharing. However, they are involved in tensions that risk undermining their contributions. This paper aims to investigate how such tensions can negatively impact the feasibility of sustainable transport system futures.

Tensions are outlined as an analytical concept by drawing on futures studies and the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP). Literature is surveyed and the 168 identified tensions are presented in the form of condensed summaries/themes. These are legislative frameworks, aspects of sustainability, use of space, digital vulnerability, public revenues, market dynamics, biased access, induced travel, modal competition, and individual decisions. The role of a wide range of social groups are highlighted including public actors, private organisations and users.

We conclude that the tensions need to be navigated, managed, and/or resolved in planning and decision-making to ensure that NMS contribute to sustainable transport. Given their interlinked nature, the tensions must be addressed both individually and collectively. We also find that the approach, combining a futures studies perspective and the MLP, provides a useful way of understanding the role of tensions in transport system futures.

National Category
Environmental Studies in Social Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363240OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-363240DiVA, id: diva2:1957250
Note

QC 20250509

Available from: 2025-05-08 Created: 2025-05-08 Last updated: 2025-05-13Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Where are we heading, and where do we want to go?: Exploring transport system futures, climate targets and new mobility services
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Where are we heading, and where do we want to go?: Exploring transport system futures, climate targets and new mobility services
2025 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This thesis is written at a time when a considerable gap exists between the current trajectory of the transport system and developments in line with societal goals, such as those set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Responding to the challenge, the thesis explores what futures aligned with societal goals can entail. Transport system scenarios fulfilling climate goals are developed and analysed, examining the potential of electrification, biofuels,and vehicle efficiency. The thesis also pays special attention to New MobilityServices (NMS), which enables mobility through vehicle sharing andridesharing. In addition to developing scenarios where NMS are included, are view explores other studies in which target-fulfilling scenarios have been developed, to understand possible future roles of the services. The thesis also investigates potential contributions from mobility and accessibility services to reduce transport volumes, facilitating a modal shift from car use to alternative transport modes, and enhancing the environmental performance of cars when in use. Potential tensions associated with NMS are also explored, which can be barriers to successful implementation at scale.

The thesis contributes to the understanding of what future transport systems achieving climate goals could entail. The results show that a combination of technological advancements and behavioural changes will be necessary. Significant contributions to emissions reductions are expected from, for example, electrification, biofuels, and improvements in vehicle energy efficiency. Despite this, there is still a need to reduce transport volumes from cars, air travel, and freight via road networks to an extent that represents a major break in trends. This is partly due to the insufficient maturity of technological alternatives and the long turnover time of the passenger car fleet, which limits the progress of electrification. It is also due to the fact that biobased raw materials for fuel production are limited resources from both territorial and global perspectives. Moreover, even vehicles with low direct emissions result in significant emissions from lifecycle stages such as the production of vehicles and fuels. It is demonstrated that large vehicle fleets may be challenging to reconcile with climate ambitions concretised through the European emissions trading system.

Another contribution of this thesis is an improved understanding of potential futures for NMS. A potential role of NMS in achieving societal targets such as greenhouse gas emissions reductions is concluded. In the developed scenarios, car-sharing plays an important role in ensuring car access when the number of cars decreases. Mechanisms are also identified through which several services can contribute to avoiding transport, shifting from car travel, and improving environmental performance when cars are used. However, negatively contributing mechanisms are also identified, and a challenge arises from the fact that the mechanisms are intertwined in complex relationships and embedded in contexts that have implications for the final impact. In addition, 168 identified tensions presented within a set of ten themes demonstrate challenges to the feasibility of future sustainable transport systems where NMS plays a significant role, which needs to be navigated. The tensions involve public entities, private organisations as well as citizens/users. It is concluded that there is a need to connect individual mechanisms and tensions to cumulative system level impacts and to maintain a systems perspective when investigating the effects of the services.

Abstract [sv]

Denna avhandling är skriven i en tid då det finns betydande klyftor mellan den utveckling transportsystemet följer och den som krävs för att uppnå samhällsmål som kraftigt minskade växthusgasutsläpp. Avhandlingen svarar mot denna utmaning genom att undersöka hur framtider i linje med sådanamål kan se ut. Scenarier för transportsystemet som uppfyller klimatmål utvecklas och analyseras, och centrala element som elektrifiering, biobränsle och fordonseffektivisering utforskas. En fördjupad ansats görs också för attförstå möjliga framtider för nya mobilitetstjänster, dvs nya tjänster som möjliggör mobilitet genom delning av fordon och samåkning. Utöver att mobilitetstjänsterna ingår i egenutvecklade scenarier görs en genomgång avandra framtidsorienterade studier med fokus på tjänsternas roll i måluppfyllande framtidsbilder. Avhandlingen undersöker även tjänsternas potentiella roll i att undvika transporter, åstadkomma ett skifte från bilanvändning till andra färdmedel och förbättra miljöprestandan för bilar när de används.

Avhandlingen bidrar till förståelsen av vad framtida transportsystem somuppnår klimatmål kan innebära. Resultaten visar att en kombination av teknik och beteendeförändringar kommer att behövas för att uppnå klimatmålen. Betydande bidrag till utsläppsminskningar kommer från bl.a. elektrifiering, biobränslen och ökad fordonsenergieffektivitet. Trots detta finns ett behov av minskade transportvolymer från bilar, flygresor och frakt via vägnätet i en omfattning som motsvarar ett betydande trendbrott. Detta beror delvis på begränsad teknikmognad bland de möjliga alternativen, samt en lång omsättningstid för personbilar som begränsar elektrifieringens framfart. Därtill leder även fordon med låga utsläpp från användarfasen till betydande indirekta utsläpp i samband med bland annat fordons- och energiproduktion. På grund av detta kan stora bilflottor vara svåra att kombinera med klimatambitioner såsom de som specificeras genom det europeiska utsläppshandelssystemet. Det finns även ett resursperspektiv som behöverbeaktas när alternativ till fossila bränslen används i allt högre utsträckning. Både biobränslen och batterimetaller finns i begränsad mängd, och efterfrågasför andra ändamål och i många länder. 

Denna avhandling bidrar även till förståelsen av potentiella framtider för nya mobilitetstjänster. Avhandlingen visar på en potential bland tjänsterna i att bidra till samhällsmål som lägre växthusgasutsläpp. I de egenutvecklade scenarierna har bildelning en viktig roll för att säkerställa biltillgång när flottans storlek minskar och bidrar till en reducerad efterfrågan på transporter. Vidare identifieras mekanismer genom vilka flera olika tjänster kan bidra tillatt helt undvika transporter, ett skifte från resor med bil till andra färdmedel och till att förbättra miljöprestandan när bilar används. En utmaning uppstår i att positivt och negativt bidragande mekanismerna är tätt sammanflätade ikomplexa relationer och inbäddade i ett sammanhang som präglar effekterna som uppstår. Dessutom identifieras 168 spänningar som hotar realiseringen av hållbara transportsystemframtider där mobilitetstjänster spelar en större roll. Av detta följer behovet av ett systemperspektiv som länkar samman enskilda mekanismer och effekter för att bättre förstå den totala påverkan som tjänsterna kan komma att ha.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2025. p. 71
Series
TRITA-ABE-DLT ; 2514
Keywords
Transport, mobility service, backcasting, scenario, sustainability, climate, life cycle, Avoid–Shift–Improve, tensions, Transport, mobilitetstjänster, backcasting, scenarier, hållbarhet, klimat, livscykelperspektiv, Avoid–Shift–Improve, spänningar
National Category
Environmental Studies in Social Sciences
Research subject
Planning and Decision Analysis, Strategies for sustainable development
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-363333 (URN)978-91-8106-303-5 (ISBN)
Public defence
2025-06-05, D3, Lindstedtsvägen 9, 3rd floor, KTH Campus, public video conference link https://kth-se.zoom.us/j/67395367548, Stockholm, 13:00 (English)
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Supervisors
Note

QC 20250514

Available from: 2025-05-14 Created: 2025-05-13 Last updated: 2025-05-14Bibliographically approved

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Berg Mårtensson, HampusHöjer, MattiasÅkerman, Jonas

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