| 1. |
- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-
(författare)
-
Beyond Technology : Understanding societal impacts of implementing self-driving vehicle systems on road transport
- 2024
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- During the last decade, self-driving vehicles have become a major topic of interest, promising to transform transport by making travel safer and more efficient. However, as we move closer to making these vehicles a reality, it has become clear that introducing them into society might not be as straightforward as once thought, and there are growing doubts about the benefits they are supposed to offer.In this thesis, I investigate the societal impacts of self-driving vehicles by exploring four aspects: reasons for researching self-driving vehicles, how these vehicles could be implemented, the societal impacts of fully implementing self-driving vehicles, and their relationship to sustainability goals.I find that the motivation for researching this topic is often opaque, and the existence of the technology itself is used as a justification for more research. Furthermore, most research into realising self-driving vehicles focuses on purely technical aspects such as designing better algorithms. However, I show that many challenges remain connected to the sociotechnical intertwinement of self-driving vehicles. For instance, I illustrate how they will interact with pedestrians and how services using self-driving vehicles would be practically organised.Additionally, self-driving vehicles are likely to impact many aspects of society, such as congestion, accessibility, and economic factors. However, I demonstrate that no single framework successfully captures all the identified societal impacts, which are likely to depend on diverse factors such as geographical variations.The impacts further affect sustainability, where new challenges are likely to emerge. I show that while current tools to govern the transport system are still relevant, a comprehensive approach is needed to ensure that policymakers make well-considered decisions. In conclusion, I call for a more balanced view of self-driving vehicles. Introducing this new technology requires careful planning and governance to ensure that self-driving vehicle systems genuinely enhance our quality of life and help build a sustainable future.
|
|
| 2. |
- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-
(författare)
-
Exploring societal impacts of self-driving public transport using four-step transport models
- 2022
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- During the last decade, self-driving technology has become increasingly visible in the news, with the vision that people would enter vehicles that drive themselves, and that people could instead rest, read the newspaper, or have a meeting. However, these visions have mainly focused on the potential for car usage, even though public transport could benefit greatly from self-driving technology. For bus traffic, the bus driver accounts for half of the cost of driving, and savings on personnel costs could, for example, be reinvested in expanded public transport service or used to lower taxes.At the same time, more research has shown potential problems linked to self-driving technology, for example that more comfortable driving would lead to more traffic, which in turn would lead to increased emissions, higher noise levels in cities or further focus on car-centric infrastructure. For public transport, the driver's role in creating safety and acting as problem solvers has also been emphasized - who should I ask for directions if there is no knowledgeable driver on board?Various methods have previously been used to explore the social effects of self-driving technology and in this dissertation I have used so-called "four-stage models", more specifically the Swedish transport model Sampers. Four-stage models have been used for 50 years to evaluate effects on the transport system from e.g. infrastructure changes, but these models face new challenges, handling vehicles that drive by themselves. In my research, I have adjusted the model to simulate self-driving technology and investigated what effects this has on, for example, traffic volumes and emissions.In the three articles that are part of the dissertation, I have four main conclusions:Self-driving technology can mean large savings in costs for public transport, primarily for bus traffic but also to some extent for rail traffic. In addition, a smoother driving behaviour would mean more comfortable travel, which would increase the attractiveness of public transport. In addition, public transport not limited by, for example, driver schedules or current commercial conditions, could develop new types of services, such as on-demand public transport.Four-stage models have previously been used to model the transport system and have been shown to have good results, at least at an overall level. Within my research, I have made some adaptations of these models to mimic self-driving technology, but the models in their current form cannot consider, for example, vehicle sharing.It is important to point out that bus and train drivers currently perform many tasks that are not directly related to the driving of the vehicle, such as answering questions, maintaining social order among passengers and taking care of faults that occur during the trip. Today, self-driving technology cannot fulfil these roles.Self-driving technology for public transport would affect people's accessibility, driving style for vehicles, safety on board, how we plan traffic and the people who currently work as drivers. In fact, a multitude of societal effects have been identified, affecting all areas of transport. In addition, the effects are generally not similar across geographies, time units or for different actors, which further emphasizes that the total effect is not easy to summarize.
|
|
| 3. |
- Almlöf, Erik, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
-
From technological fixes to societal solutions : A sociotechnical framework for understanding self-driving technology implementation
- 2024
-
Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Self-driving vehicles have been hailed as a revolutionary force that will benefit society through increased accessibility and reduced accident rates. However, implementing such a new technological system will be complex, requiring immense societal adaptions and changes. In this paper, we analyse the challenges faced in implementing self-driving vehicles based on interviews with onboard operators and stakeholders responsible for the operations of self-driving buses in northwest Stockholm, Sweden. From these interviews, we suggest a framework for understanding which societal changes would be required to implement self-driving vehicles.We highlight the complexities of self-driving and the sociotechnical perspective needed to understand the challenges of implementing self-driving vehicles, underscoring human drivers' complex and tacit knowledge. Further, we identify a crucial technological gap in the vehicles' understanding of context, suggesting that comprehensive self-driving operation requires a form of general intelligence beyond the current, specialised, driving-only intelligence. The findings presented in this paper pave the way for further research and efforts needed to enable broader adoption of self-driving vehicles and offer insights for policymakers to guide future legislation in self-driving transport. In conclusion, several adaptions are required to facilitate self-driving vehicles. However, policymakers are advised to uphold stringent transport requirements, regardless of human or machine drivers, and resist any pressures to unnecessarily relax regulations. Such a cautious approach will ensure the continued prioritisation of safety and efficacy without compromising the human norms and behaviours that are integral and necessary to transport systems.
|
|
| 4. |
- Fazey, Ioan, et al.
(författare)
-
Transforming knowledge systems for life on Earth : Visions of future systems and how to get there
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Energy Research & Social Science. - : Elsevier. - 2214-6296 .- 2214-6326. ; 70
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Formalised knowledge systems, including universities and research institutes, are important for contemporary societies. They are, however, also arguably failing humanity when their impact is measured against the level of progress being made in stimulating the societal changes needed to address challenges like climate change. In this research we used a novel futures-oriented and participatory approach that asked what future envisioned knowledge systems might need to look like and how we might get there. Findings suggest that envisioned future systems will need to be much more collaborative, open, diverse, egalitarian, and able to work with values and systemic issues. They will also need to go beyond producing knowledge about our world to generating wisdom about how to act within it. To get to envisioned systems we will need to rapidly scale methodological innovations, connect innovators, and creatively accelerate learning about working with intractable challenges. We will also need to create new funding schemes, a global knowledge commons, and challenge deeply held assumptions. To genuinely be a creative force in supporting longevity of human and non-human life on our planet, the shift in knowledge systems will probably need to be at the scale of the enlightenment and speed of the scientific and technological revolution accompanying the second World War. This will require bold and strategic action from governments, scientists, civic society and sustained transformational intent.
|
|
| 5. |
- Hasselqvist, Hanna, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
-
Challenging the Car Norm : Opportunitites for ICT to Support Sustainable Transportation Practices
- 2016
-
Ingår i: CHI '16 Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. - New York, NY, USA : ACM Digital Library. - 9781450333627 ; , s. 1300-1311
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of practices as a unit of analysis has been suggested in order to scale up efforts within sustainable HCI and to shift the focus from changing individual behaviours to supporting transitions at a societal level. In this paper, we take a practice approach to the case of sustainable transportation, and more specifically to car-free transportation. Car use is intertwined in many practices and managing life without a car is difficult, particularly for people in contexts where owning at least one car per family is the norm. We studied three families in Stockholm who replaced their cars with different combinations of light electric vehicles during one year. From the families' experiences, we identified a number of opportunities for designers of interactive technologies to support environmental pioneers in the particular case of car-free living, as well as to support transitions towards sustainable practices in general.
|
|
| 6. |
- Hesselgren, Mia, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
A Car-free Year : Providing vehicles for change
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Design Ecologies. - : Nordes.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper describes an interventionist design research project called a Car-free Year, where three families substitute their cars for a fleet of light electric vehicles during one year. The aim is to study how this intervention changes the families’ everyday practices, as well as suggest how design can support and sustain such a change on a larger scale. If radically new paradigms are to be shaped, changes are needed both in what is considered normalities and in people’s everyday practices. We argue that design can play an important role in the transition towards more sustainable futures and new normalities.
|
|
| 7. |
- Hesselgren, Mia, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Design strategies for exploring and bridging : Intersections of everyday life and decisionmaking for sustainability
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Conference proceedings of the Design Management Academy. - Glasgow. - 9781912294114 ; , s. 189-205
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Transitions of unsustainable everyday practices into more sustainable ones require new approaches to explore possible futures and encourage change. Trying new practices and experiencing alternative configurations of sociomaterial assemblages can increase reflexivity as well as assist in exploring potential futures. Design can assist in co-creating possible futures and bridging discussions about the preferred strategies to reach them. If sustainability is defined as an on-going process calling for dialogue, there could be potentials for using practice-based design research, and in particular co-design approaches, at the intersections of these dialogues. By analysing methods for reflexivity and collaboration in two design research projects within sustainable mobility, we here suggest design strategies for prototyping change at an individual level and communicating the experiences of such change to people with power to trigger and direct change. This may be particularly useful for addressing sustainability which both requires dealing with complex problems and extensive collaboration.
|
|
| 8. |
- Hesselgren, Mia, 1965-
(författare)
-
Designing for sustainability practices : RE-DO Design Doings, Strategies and Postures
- 2019
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Tackling current sustainability challenges requires substantial societal and social changes, and many different strategies for their deployment. More people have to choose sustainability practices, such as sustainable mobility practices, but such transitions are not easily accomplished. Everyday life is formed by, on the one hand, available systems of provision and, on the other hand, chosen lifestyles. Design can influence conditions for these systems and lifestyles, and thus enable more people to embrace sustainability practices. However, for this to happen, design practice in itself needs to be reformulated to include everyday practices as design material and address the associated dynamics and complexities.This thesis presents suggested reformulations of design as a practice through the RE-DO Design engagements. The suggested design approach is built on three research projects that staged interventions in sustainable mobility practices. Through practicebased design research, and with a design research program, possible reformulations of design practice to create favourable conditions for sustainability practices have been explored. RE-DO Design comprises design doings, strategies and postures, and involves iterative design work in four loops that respectively reconfigure, perform, explore and bridge sustainable proto-practices. Each iteration includes design strategies for these doings and enables opportunities for revisioning and learning in everyday life as well as for decision makers. To realise RE-DO Design, three design postures are suggested: Re-make, Re-value and Re-learn. With these reformulations of design, conditions for sustainability practices can be influenced and designed.The thesis discusses RE-DO Design, with the mobility interventions as a basis and with a focus on the three design postures Re-make, Re-value and Re-learn. The aim is to contribute to developing and reformulating design as a practice in order for it to play an important part in sustainability transitions.
|
|
| 9. |
- Hesselgren, Mia, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Exploring Lost and Found in Future Images of Energy Transitions : Towards a Bridging practice of Provoking and Affirming Design
- 2018
-
Ingår i: DRS2018.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We need to transition our society in a more sustainable direction, for example through enormous cuts in carbon emissions. Yet this future is hard to envision and work towards. In this project, with a transition design posture, we have designed tools that we believe can be useful to initiate dialogues and reflections for the future. In particular we are interested in using the bridging between provocative and affirmative design as a way to explore and articulate what people see as the lost and found of such a transition. In this paper, we present a study where we used a practice lens to address one possible low carbon future through a provocation workshop. We present our methodology, the tentative tools we used during the workshop and the experiences as expressed by the workshop participants.
|
|
| 10. |
- Hesselgren, Mia, 1965-, et al.
(författare)
-
Giving car-free life a try : Designing seeds for changed practices
- 2016
-
Ingår i: <em>Proceedings of DRS 2016, Design Research Society 50th Anniversary Conference</em>. Brighton, UK, 27–30 June 2016.. - : Design Research Society.
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- For sustainable practices to emerge, they have to be tried out. In the design intervention A Car-free Year, we studied the particularities of three families’ changed practices. With a collaborative mind-set, the practices’ constituting elements were analysed, and their intertwined links followed, forming possible design concepts. When designing these seeds for changed practices, we have found, through the knowledge gained from the participants’ different perspectives, possibilities to design initiatives that could enable more people to live car-free. We believe that designing enabling ecosystems, where all types of elements encourage sustainable practices, can be an important role of sustainable design. Furthermore, design research can challenge existing societal norms, as clearly revealed in this project, and consequently inspire more people to make sustainable lifestyle choices.
|
|
