The research project “Sustainable on the Road Together” investigates how to make the travel behavior of event-goers more sustainable. This PPP project focuses on developing feasible and acceptable interventions by collaborating with various stakeholders. Colleague Nienke Edelenbosch of the Social Earning Capacity program has written an article on this, in which she further explains the approach and insights gained.

By Nienke Edelenbosch

Summary
For event visitors, sustainability is an increasingly important objective. As a result, there is a lot of pressure on the event industry to facilitate sustainable and smart travel for visitors. Various parties in the ArenAPoort area (such as the Johan Cruijff ArenA, AFAS Live and Ziggo Dome) signed an initiative in May 2022 to allow visitors to travel CO2-free to and from events from 2023. In an experimental project, participatory design will improve the area development.

Making event visitor travel behavior sustainable is a challenge

Making travel behavior of visitors to events more sustainable is not simple and requires an ecosystem approach, as solutions interact. For example, it is not always possible to get more travelers to go by public transport, as this places a huge burden on public transport and causes great inconvenience to travelers and the environment. To get people on board in the transition to sustainable and smart travel behavior, it is necessary to gain insights and develop and test interventions. For example, increased use of shared transport and public transport, while staggered arrival and departure of visitors to reduce the pressure on the area. To develop these types of interventions, it is important to develop solutions where all stakeholders are involved in the development, and broad ownership is felt.

Previous project: 'What Moves People'
Do you want to get people on board in the transition to sustainable and smart travel behavior? Then it is necessary to gain insight into their environment and to develop that knowledge into testable interventions. Not only the target group needs to be involved: it is also important that stakeholders feel broad ownership of the interventions. The ArenAPoort, together with the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, therefore set up an experiment with a participatory design approach.

They jointly developed concepts for effective interventions within this project. An understanding of the key criteria for stakeholders was gained, and existing experiences/knowledge was used. Thus, the network was optimally used in the transition.

Current project: 'Sustainable on the Road Together'
In the follow-up project “Samen Duurzaam op Weg,” the concepts will be further developed into interventions that are feasible and acceptable. By constantly exchanging ideas with each other, stakeholders can think constructively about solutions that are bearable for everyone. The use of visual materials encourages people to explore new ways of thinking. In the project, they aim to test interventions in the area. What they also hope to do in the current project is: collaborate with residents and travelers who want to play an active role in the project as ambassadors.

There will be €50,000 as a PPP program supplement.

Source: www.maatschappelijkverdienvermogen.nl