Influence of Urban Design in the Choice of Transportation Mode - Cycling for a People-Centred Urban Form

Abstract

Amidst proponents of human-scale cities, the bicycle has (re)gained a reputation of being a facilitative problem-solving tool for many current urban issues, such as the combat against climate change, decreasing socio-economic differences between population groups, decreasing traffic congestion, creating liveable cities by establishing better-functioning public spaces, and, like highlighted in this thesis, in attempts for better urban health. In the 21st Century, the bicycle has (re)opened a window for sustainable urban futures. This study discusses to what extent people’s decision-making in the choice of transportation mode is influenced by urban design factors, particularly in the case of cycling in Helsinki, Finland. Through a mixed-method approach, statistical analysis is conducted and combined with expert interviews. The results show that residential location and daily travel distance influenced the inhabitants’ purpose and reason to cycle, but were not significant when cycling was not chosen as a transportation alternative. Moreover, in all tested cases, end-journey activity influenced the Helsinki inhabitants’ satisfaction toward the cycling network. The qualitative results suggest, accessibility and convenience of cycling, city form in terms of its infrastructure, and people-centred infrastructure, are furthermore demand side determinants that influence the inhabitant’s decision-making while choosing cycling for a transportation alternative. However, other factors, such as people’s mind-sets also pay a role in choosing a transportation mode, and therefore urban design is not alone responsible for guiding people toward a certain transportation mode.