Car-free urban districts - an inter- and transdisciplinary research project

The project aims to develop new knowledge about how car-free urban districts can be developed and implemented and how this is perceived by users regarding socio-spatial opportunities and obstacles for people's mobility. The project will outline principles for necessary changes in the planning and implementation processes and the development of a trans- and multidisciplinary approach to identify relations important for developing car free districts. In addition, both process and concrete results should promote an equal society.

The project brings together different research disciplines, such as urban and transport planning and mobility research, environmental psychology and landscape architecture to tackle car-free urban areas and the user’s experiences of it in its interdisciplinary and complex nature. In addition, the project will develop a toolbox for future projects in line with overall experiences from research on car-free urban districts. Existing regulations and laws setting the framework for the implementation of car-free districts will be considered in order to facilitate the development of policy recommendations.

The project aims to offer insights and impact on: 

• Strategic development and guidelines for planning practice ('toolbox')
• Understanding influence on people's mobility behaviors and patterns
• Opportunities to influence and target mobility (behavior, traffic modes, flow ...) & spatial development (reuse of infrastructural space, multifunctionality, new values, ...)
• Knowledge raising and new experiences for locals, residents, experts, politicians and the general public
• Contribute to achieving national, regional and local sustainability goals