Prioritizing cycling infrastructure development through user and expert consensus
Key factors for successful cycling infrastructure development can be identified and prioritized by comparing the perspectives of cyclists and urban planning experts.
Sustainability · 2023
Key Findings
- 01Eight key factors influencing bicycle infrastructure development were identified.
- 02Planning (separation, continuity, consistency, length), legal regulations, obstacle elimination, and design (safety, space, terrain, attractiveness) are the most critical factors.
- 03Both cyclists and experts agreed on the most important factors, with differences primarily in their order of priority.
Application
Design takeaway
When designing urban infrastructure, prioritize factors that ensure connectivity, safety, and legal support, and validate these priorities with both intended users and professional stakeholders.
How to apply
When designing any public infrastructure, conduct surveys or focus groups with both potential users and relevant professionals to understand and prioritize design factors.
Project actions
- 01When researching a design problem, consider identifying different user groups and expert groups.
- 02Use surveys or interviews to gather opinions on design priorities from these different groups.
- 03Analyze if there are commonalities and differences in their priorities.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Utilizes a robust analytical method (DEMATEL) to explore complex interdependencies.
- +Compares two distinct but relevant stakeholder groups, providing a nuanced perspective.
Limitations
The number of participants and the specific demographic of cyclists and experts surveyed might limit the generalizability of the findings.
Reliability & validity
The use of a structured method like DEMATEL enhances the reliability of the findings. Validity is supported by comparing two distinct groups, suggesting the factors identified are broadly relevant, though generalizability to all urban contexts requires further study.
Think critically
To what extent might the 'attractiveness' of cycling infrastructure be subjective and influenced by cultural or aesthetic preferences, and how could a designer account for this variability?
Design Principles
"Stakeholder consensus is vital for the successful implementation of sustainable infrastructure."
Understanding user needs and expert opinions is crucial for designing sustainable urban environments. This research highlights how to balance diverse stakeholder perspectives to create effective and adopted infrastructure, aligning with design's focus on user-centered design and sustainable solutions.
What This Means for Your Design
To make bike paths better, you need to ask both people who ride bikes and people who plan cities what's most important, and they mostly agree on things like making paths connected, safe, and easy to use.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify the importance of user research and stakeholder consultation in your design process.
- 2.In your analysis, you can compare your own user feedback to the findings of this study to add depth.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
(2023). Application of the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Method to Assess Factors Influencing the Development of Cycling Infrastructure in Cities. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152316421 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/4c94de4a-9445-4421-96e0-8855198876e1/prioritizing-cycling-infrastructure-development-through-user-and-expert-consensus
Paragraph starter
This study by Trembecka et al. (2023) highlights the critical importance of stakeholder consensus in infrastructure development, demonstrating that prioritizing factors such as planning, legal support, and design quality, based on the combined input of users and experts, leads to more effective and sustainable outcomes. This principle is directly applicable to my design process, emphasizing the need to gather and integrate diverse user and expert perspectives to ensure the success and adoption of my proposed solution.
Source
Sustainability
Application of the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Method to Assess Factors Influencing the Development of Cycling Infrastructure in Cities
journal · 2023
View sourceQuestions about this research
- What does the research say about prioritizing cycling infrastructure development through user and expert consensus?
- When designing urban infrastructure, prioritize factors that ensure connectivity, safety, and legal support, and validate these priorities with both intended users and professional stakeholders. Evidence: Sustainability (2023).
- Why does "Prioritizing cycling infrastructure development through user and expert consensus" matter for design?
- Understanding user needs and expert opinions is crucial for designing sustainable urban environments. This research highlights how to balance diverse stakeholder perspectives to create effective and adopted infrastructure, aligning with IB DT's focus on user-centered design and sustainable solutions.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When designing urban infrastructure, prioritize factors that ensure connectivity, safety, and legal support, and validate these priorities with both intended users and professional stakeholders.
- What were the main findings?
- Eight key factors influencing bicycle infrastructure development were identified.. Planning (separation, continuity, consistency, length), legal regulations, obstacle elimination, and design (safety, space, terrain, attractiveness) are the most critical factors.. Both cyclists and experts agreed on the most important factors, with differences primarily in their order of priority.
- What research method was used?
- Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2023 journal from Sustainability.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing any public infrastructure, conduct surveys or focus groups with both potential users and relevant professionals to understand and prioritize design factors.
- What are the limitations?
- The study's findings might be specific to the context in which the research was conducted and may not be universally applicable without further validation.
- Is there evidence that cycling infrastructure affects design outcomes?
- The study found that planning, legal support, removing barriers, and thoughtful design are the most important elements for good cycling infrastructure, and both regular cyclists and professionals largely agree on this, though they might rank them slightly differently. Understanding user needs and expert opinions is cru Source: Sustainability (2023).
- Where does this legal support research apply?
- Urban planning and transportation engineering for sustainable cities. It sits within sustainability research on designdex.org.
Related research topics
cycling infrastructure design research · evidence on cycling infrastructure · does cycling infrastructure improve design outcomes · legal support studies for designers · cycling infrastructure and legal support findings · sustainability research evidence