The future urban road: A systematic literature review-enhanced Q-method study with experts

摘要

In an era of complexity, rapid technological advance and need for climate change action, urban roads may need to transform. The aim of this research is to identify the concepts underpinning the fundamental dimensions of the future urban road and open up an interdisciplinary dialogue about its delivery. We used a combinatorial approach incorporating a Systematic Literature Review to a Q-method. The Systematic Literature Review identifies 28 transforming concepts and organises them into five categories, namely: efficiency, safety, liveability, accessibility, and smart technology. Through a Q-method study, 50 transport experts "described" the urban road of the future. Four main factors emerged classifying the experts into: People-First Techno-Centrists (smart technology used as an enabler of human-centric transport futures), Autonomous Vehicles Sceptics, (AVs should not be the key paradigm-changer) Unconventionalists (shared road space and mixed uses should prevail) and Infrastructurists (safety-first multimodal infrastructure interventions should lead any change). The main dilemmas that arise are: a) prioritisation of modes: human first or not? b) share or segregate? and c) design systems or roads?