%0 Report %1 SustTransport2007 %A Wilson, Scott %A Hall and Partners, %D 2007 %K attitudes defra transport prj-sustainability %T Public Understanding of Sustainable Transport %X AIM: To better understand the Public Understanding of Sustainable Transport. METHODS: A combination of 3 six-hour deliberative workshops, engaging 100 people and 12 individual mobility biographies with selected participants. RESULTS: Environmental awareness and subsequent concern were found to be widespread across all groups. The term sustainable transport was unfamiliar to participants but they were aware of the links between transport and the environment at a very general level. Perceptions of sustainable transport and potential to change behaviour were influenced more by lifestyle and 'individualism'. All participants wanted comfortable fast and convenient modes of transport. Most participants aspired to car ownership because of its convenience, comfort, choice, status/image, freedom and perceived relative safety. However, although discussion on issues over behaviour and personal responsibility were interesting to participants, there was no real commitment made to change behaviour that would cause 'inconvenience' to lifestyle. CONCLUSION: Incentives, penalties, positives and benefits of NOT using the car, combined with a campaign of 'unacceptability' are considered effective methods by the researchers to move public attitude to change behaviour. Participants may be more prone to change behaviour if the benefit is a proximate one to the individual, his/her family, or the local community. Nevertheless, this study suggests that the climate change debate is permeating wider society, but that much of the environment debate seems to be carried out in a fragmented and inconsistent manner, both by society and at the individual level.

@techreport{SustTransport2007, abstract = {AIM: To better understand the Public Understanding of Sustainable Transport. METHODS: A combination of 3 six-hour deliberative workshops, engaging 100 people and 12 individual mobility biographies with selected participants. RESULTS: Environmental awareness and subsequent concern were found to be widespread across all groups. The term sustainable transport was unfamiliar to participants but they were aware of the links between transport and the environment at a very general level. Perceptions of sustainable transport and potential to change behaviour were influenced more by lifestyle and 'individualism'. All participants wanted comfortable fast and convenient modes of transport. Most participants aspired to car ownership because of its convenience, comfort, choice, status/image, freedom and perceived relative safety. However, although discussion on issues over behaviour and personal responsibility were interesting to participants, there was no real commitment made to change behaviour that would cause 'inconvenience' to lifestyle. CONCLUSION: Incentives, penalties, positives and benefits of NOT using the car, combined with a campaign of 'unacceptability' are considered effective methods by the researchers to move public attitude to change behaviour. Participants may be more prone to change behaviour if the benefit is a proximate one to the individual, his/her family, or the local community. Nevertheless, this study suggests that the climate change debate is permeating wider society, but that much of the environment debate seems to be carried out in a fragmented and inconsistent manner, both by society and at the individual level.}, added-at = {2010-08-10T21:33:06.000+0200}, author = {Wilson, Scott and {Hall and Partners}}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/29fab4e28111384a03bada621e328c1cd/nicoj}, institution = {Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs}, interhash = {6ec9368f86163c7b2473c9a541019710}, intrahash = {9fab4e28111384a03bada621e328c1cd}, keywords = {attitudes defra transport prj-sustainability}, timestamp = {2012-08-06T22:08:36.000+0200}, title = {Public Understanding of Sustainable Transport}, year = 2007 }