Breathable Corridors: Comfort in Active Mobility
General Description:
More than 50% of local trips can be realized by active mobility, while pedestrians and cyclists are specifically sensitive to the quality of the urban environment [1]. Therefore, it is expected that Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) can enhance the quality of recreational destinations at a short distance, increase walkability within neighborhoods, improve cycling conditions along green corridors, and thus contribute to an enhanced quality of urban life [2]. However, in accessibility research, there is still a lack of considering comfort in the criteria for the service of active mobility [3]. Walking and cycling comfort is influenced by diverse factors, such as visual and aural stimuli, micro-climate, and air quality, which are strongly related to the presence and quality of UGI [4]. As the presence of UGI correlates with the mode share of active mobility [5, 6], this research focuses on the human-environment interactions in walking and cycling. Studying the details of human-environment interactions lies in the necessity of capturing user experience in mobility[7]. User experience (UX) encapsulates the multifaceted dimensions of an individual's interaction with the urban environment during their daily commute. It goes beyond the physical act of movement, encompassing emotions, perceptions, and the overall quality of the journey.
To conceptualize user experience within the field of mobility, with a focus on UX for active modes, this study explores existing literature on walking and cycling user experiences systematically, revealing an absence of a comprehensive framework to apprehend and analyze the multifaceted elements shaping the UX of active mobility. In response to this gap, this research introduces a novel framework tailored to study the UX of active mobility modes. The framework is structured around three interconnected dimensions: the built environment, the natural environment, and personal characteristics. Through live daily experience tracking of volunteer participants in winter and summer, the research seeks to create Active Mobility UX maps that help us document and locate the feelings as they happen in the city. This mapping enables not only a better understanding of comfort components in real-time walking and cycling but also allows for extrapolation of the results through a novel street typology that has been developed for this research and can be applied universally. Data collection methods include a city-wide survey, UX self-recordings and walk-along interviews. Data analysis includes both quantitative (statistical analysis, spatial analysis, image processing) and qualitative (speech analysis) methods.
Objectives:
- To understand and review the potential of UGI as multifunctional ‘breathable corridors’ for increasing the attractiveness of active modes.
- To analyze the relationship between UGI elements and the comfort of walking and cycling and the overall well-being in urban areas.
- To understand the different role of UGI in enhancing walking vs cycling comfort
Duration:
April 2022 - March 2024
Contractor:
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Partner:
Research Training Group – Urban Green Infrastructure
Contact:
M. Sc. Mahtab Baghaiepoor (mahtab.baghaie@tum.de)
Dr.-Ing. Benjamin Büttner (Deputy Chair Holder, benjamin.buettner@tum.de)