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Leeds residents needed to help design better transport futures

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Communities across Leeds are being asked to volunteer to redesign their own neighbourhoods as part of a multimillion-pound project exploring a greener and fairer way for people to get around.

The groundbreaking INFUZE study (Inspiring Futures for Zero Carbon Mobility) led by the Institute for Transport Studies will ask Leeds communities to help design futures where the right transport option for each journey is available on demand.

They’ll be asked to think about what mix of bikes, buses, e-scooters, demand-responsive services and cars there might be – whether new vehicles or service improvements – and how neighbourhoods could benefit from the changes.

Participation begins with a survey about transport across the city.

Transport is the largest contributor of carbon emissions in the UK at 23%. In the UK alone, £79bn is spent annually on owning, insuring, and maintaining cars.

However, research shows that they move only 4% of the day and run 960 billion empty-seat miles per year. A third of cars do not move on any given day.

Co-creating space for better transport

INFUZE researchers believe that, through co-designing transport systems with communities, many cars could disappear from our streets leaving more room for pedestrians, wheelchairs, children’s buggies, cyclists, playing, and safe space for the rise in home deliveries.

The researchers need to know whether these ideas could provide a better experience, so now they are looking to work with neighbourhoods who want to try something different that they have helped to design, and who could test whether there are meaningful alternatives to a future of individually owned cars.

Greg Marsden, Professor of Transport Governance and Director of INFUZE, said: “We want people to contribute their ideas and connections to help to create better ways of getting around that work for them, their community and the whole of Leeds.

“By working together, we could even help change the way cities around the world prepare for the future too.”

Those taking part would be working hand in hand with designers and researchers to reimagine the transport options in their neighbourhoods and the wider city.

Participants invited to creative workshops

During the design phase, participants will be invited to attend creative workshops to tell the team what they value, what they want, and what will not work for them.

The project recognises that people’s time is precious and will be providing incentives to compensate for the time given to help.

Those leading the £9.3m INFUZE project hope to eventually persuade up to 400 households across the city to join trials which will mimic the designs they create, and which could help them to decide whether there is a better system which does not rely on individual car ownership.

Dr Cyriel Diels from the Royal College of Art added: “Our doors are open to everyone in the Leeds City Region. We’re reaching out to people from all walks of life including residents, households, community groups, transport providers and businesses.

“Whether you live in the city, commute, or run a business here, your way of seeing the world matters, and we’d love to hear from you.”

There are more than 20 other organisations involved in the INFUZE study, including research partners The Royal College of Art, and Lancaster University as well as Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, ​Leeds City Bikes operator ​Beryl, Enterprise Car Clubs, and First Bus.

The INFUZE programme grant will be an international first in its mission to tackle the transition to low-carbon travel options which can be delivered at scale.

Leeds was chosen by the researchers as the venue because of the City Council’s strategic aim to be a city where you do not need to own a car.

Further information

Image credit: Victor de Jesus

Photo of INFUZE partners, from left to right: Sonja Woodcock (Leeds ACTS) Storm Baines (Enterprise Mobility) Professor Greg Marsden (Director of INFUZE) Professor Charisma Choudhury (Institute for Transport Studies) Councillor Helen Hayden (Leeds City Council Executive Member for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure) Dan Bell (Beryl) Dr Chiara Calastri (institute for Transport Studies) Stephanie Burras (Ahead Partnership).

Residents who are interested in taking part in the INFUZE project can help reimagine how we get around Leeds together.

INFUZE is an exciting new collaboration which is asking what kind of future transport systems can work better for people, business and places in the future. We bring together leading researchers in intelligent mobility design, sustainable transport and energy policy, behavioural modelling, urban analytics, historical and social futures to help you shape a future that helps everyone get around our cities together.

The project is led by University of Leeds in collaboration with Lancaster University and the Royal College of Art. It is supported by thirty private and public sector partners including the Department for Transport, Leeds City Council, Transport for the North, Transport for West Midlands, Voluntary Action Leeds and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.