Sandpit: Transport Behaviours Network.

Completed

Energy Efficiency(Transport)
Not Energy Related

Basic and strategic applied research

SOCIAL SCIENCES (Town and Country Planning)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Politics and International Studies)
SOCIAL SCIENCES (Sociology)

Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Policy and regulation)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Consumer attitudes and behaviour)
Sociological economical and environmental impact of energy (Technology acceptance)

Dr C Speed
Edinburgh College of Art
University of Edinburgh

Standard

EPSRC

01 August 2011

31 August 2015

49 months

£132,024

Unknown

Scotland

Energy Multidisciplinary Applications

Dr C Speed, Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh

This Network extends the December 2010, UK Research Councils Ideas Factory "Transport Grand Challenge: Travel behaviour, habits and practice". The Ideas Factory drew attention to the significant contribution that the transport sector makes toward the production of CO2, and whilst it is recognised that improvements in vehicle technologies and fuel choices will reduce emissions, the travel choices of the individual remain complex and entrenched in habit. Consequently the five-day Sandpit focused upon the determinants and incentives for changing travel behaviour, habits and practice in order to better understand how we can move toward increased use of lower carbon transport.The Department for Transport paper: Low carbon transport: A greener future (2009), indentified the apparent willingness for the public to change their travel behaviours but a resistance for them to actual implement them. People's decision-making toward travel is complex and irrational, making it difficult to shift patterns away from excessive use of the car, in favour for more cost effective, sustainable and at times quicker methods of transport.Reasons are complex, but it is evident that new technologies do not always offer the best solution, and may (in some cases) exacerbate problems. The Sandpit process sought to unpack the habits and pressures upon individuals, families and businesses that inhibit the opportunity to make better choices about travel.The proposed three and half year Network will sustain the intellectual synergy that was developed through the five day Sandpit, and offer a framework in which the project partners can sustain communication, explore new ideas, share good practice and develop means of disseminating knowledge to the public, industry and affect policy. The funding will support two primary methods of sustaining and developing the group: annual 2-day workshops/meetings for project partners to get together, and a digital network platform that can integrate the activities of the four funded projects, as well as disseminate progress and findings to the world

06/12/11