Beelining for sustainable transport : analysing accessibility inequities and opportunities connecting trams to bicycles in Greater Manchester
(2020) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20201LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
- Abstract
- As the clock ticks on our opportunity to limit catastrophic climate change, mitigation efforts are becoming increasingly essential, especially amongst countries with high current or historic emissions. However, these mitigation attempts are not a guaranteed success, especially when the system within which they operate is not understood due to unacknowledged bias in quantitative data. As such, wicked problems arise whereby climate mitigation actions exacerbate socio-economic inequalities at a local level. This thesis uses a case study approach to explore an iteration of this wicked problem, analysing the equitability of spatial access to the sustainable tram network in Greater Manchester, and the effect of the proposed Beeline Cycling... (More)
- As the clock ticks on our opportunity to limit catastrophic climate change, mitigation efforts are becoming increasingly essential, especially amongst countries with high current or historic emissions. However, these mitigation attempts are not a guaranteed success, especially when the system within which they operate is not understood due to unacknowledged bias in quantitative data. As such, wicked problems arise whereby climate mitigation actions exacerbate socio-economic inequalities at a local level. This thesis uses a case study approach to explore an iteration of this wicked problem, analysing the equitability of spatial access to the sustainable tram network in Greater Manchester, and the effect of the proposed Beeline Cycling Network on this accessibility. Using feminist methodology and GIS analysis, the spatial socio-economic landscape of Greater Manchester is presented using intersectional combinations of demographics, and accessibility to the tram network is analysed for each demographic group. Accessibility is found to be disproportionately poor amongst deprived ethnic minorities and deprived people over 60 years of age. This inequity is likely a symptom of gentrification and displacement due to the commodifying of urban space. Improvements to accessibility are suggested via connectivity with the carbon-free transport mode of cycling, with infrastructure suggestions tailored to the needs of marginalised groups. Cycle parking facilities at tram stops, inner-city connected cycle paths, and longer segregated cycle paths are shown to be the best potential infrastructure measures to implement to encourage connectivity. Results presented in this study open further lines of inquiry, with suggested further research that should overcome the limitations associated with quantitative secondary data by conducting a full qualitative analysis of barriers to sustainable transport access from the perspective of the marginalised groups identified in this study. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9031431
- author
- Richold, Megan LU
- supervisor
-
- Darin Wahl LU
- organization
- course
- MESM02 20201
- year
- 2020
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Sustainability Science, climate change mitigation, GIS, feminist methodology, environmental justice, urban transport, intersectionality
- publication/series
- Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
- report number
- 2020:053
- language
- English
- id
- 9031431
- date added to LUP
- 2020-11-05 08:33:13
- date last changed
- 2020-11-05 08:33:13
@misc{9031431,
abstract = {{As the clock ticks on our opportunity to limit catastrophic climate change, mitigation efforts are becoming increasingly essential, especially amongst countries with high current or historic emissions. However, these mitigation attempts are not a guaranteed success, especially when the system within which they operate is not understood due to unacknowledged bias in quantitative data. As such, wicked problems arise whereby climate mitigation actions exacerbate socio-economic inequalities at a local level. This thesis uses a case study approach to explore an iteration of this wicked problem, analysing the equitability of spatial access to the sustainable tram network in Greater Manchester, and the effect of the proposed Beeline Cycling Network on this accessibility. Using feminist methodology and GIS analysis, the spatial socio-economic landscape of Greater Manchester is presented using intersectional combinations of demographics, and accessibility to the tram network is analysed for each demographic group. Accessibility is found to be disproportionately poor amongst deprived ethnic minorities and deprived people over 60 years of age. This inequity is likely a symptom of gentrification and displacement due to the commodifying of urban space. Improvements to accessibility are suggested via connectivity with the carbon-free transport mode of cycling, with infrastructure suggestions tailored to the needs of marginalised groups. Cycle parking facilities at tram stops, inner-city connected cycle paths, and longer segregated cycle paths are shown to be the best potential infrastructure measures to implement to encourage connectivity. Results presented in this study open further lines of inquiry, with suggested further research that should overcome the limitations associated with quantitative secondary data by conducting a full qualitative analysis of barriers to sustainable transport access from the perspective of the marginalised groups identified in this study.}},
author = {{Richold, Megan}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
series = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
title = {{Beelining for sustainable transport : analysing accessibility inequities and opportunities connecting trams to bicycles in Greater Manchester}},
year = {{2020}},
}