Nudging green mobility — A comparative analysis on various nudges for mobility behaviour in the city of Turku
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Insinööritieteiden korkeakoulu |
Master's thesis
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Authors
Date
2024-06-10
Department
Major/Subject
Sustainable Urban Mobility Transitions
Mcode
ENG3085
Degree programme
Master’s programme in Urban Mobility
Language
en
Pages
113+32
Series
Abstract
The necessity to address challenges in mobility in a comprehensive manner, including structural changes to individual behaviour, is becoming increasingly acknowledged. Nudges represent a promising tool for steering behaviour towards sustainability and have gained traction, including within the built environment and mobility domain. Nevertheless, there are few empirical studies that examine the efficacy of nudges in real-world settings, particularly those that integrate multiple nudges into coherent packages and assess their transferability across contexts. In light of this gap, this thesis presents a case study conducted within the framework of the EU research project SCALE-UP, which focuses on a nudging intervention in a residential setting in the city of Turku, Finland. A review of existing nudging cases in the literature identified a number of promising interventions in the built environment. Subsequently, a force-field analysis was employed to identify suitable nudging targets. Based on this analysis, the targets of increased cycling and car-sharing adaptation were set. In the design process, a tailored nudging package is developed and then tested. This package integrates educative, incentivising, and social reference elements, which are applied through various channels. These include a project website, lobby information screens, postcards, and interpersonal interactions. The effectiveness of the intervention is evaluated through a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative analyses based on digital trip data collection and survey data with qualitative assessments via open feedback from the survey and semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that nudges, particularly those that are educative, contribute to mitigating the seasonal decline in cycling in winter within the intervention group. While the impact on carsharing uptake is less evident, insights are primarily qualitative due to survey response limitations. Notably, certain channels, such as info screens and postcards, demonstrate greater efficacy than others, such as the project website. The thesis concludes with recommendations for policymakers on the adaptation of nudging interventions in other contexts, and provides a toolkit for future applications.Description
Supervisor
Stead, DominicThesis advisor
Aaltonen, StellaMercadé, Josep
Keywords
nudging, case study, cycling, carsharing, sustainable mobility, behavioural change