The rise of micromobilities at tourism destinations

Purpose This paper aims to identify the need for research that focuses on micromobilities at tourist destinations, charting their recent expansion and exploring development challenges. Design/methodology/approach This discussion draws together recent evidence and studies that are directly and indirectly related to the rise of micromobilities. It identifies and critically analyses the trend going forward, its potential benefits and challenges, and offers several areas of future study. Findings Micromobilities relates to a new umbrella term that includes, but is not limited to, walking, cycling (both existing modes), e-bikes and e-scooters (new modes). The proliferation of new micro-modes in urban zones at destinations can be viewed positively in terms of their potential to increase sustainable urban mobility and therefore destination attractiveness; but also negatively in terms of potential space issues, accessibility and sustainable implementation. Destination developers and stakeholders should therefore consider carefully how to successfully integrate micromobilities into sustainable transport systems. Originality/value This paper addresses a trend that is extremely prominent at many destinations but largely absent from academic study and that is also being described by commentators as key to sustainable futures at destinations

Keep off the grass! : an exploration of how photographic practice may be used to develop alternative representations of the urban nature subject

The relationship between people and nature has long been suffering from a cultural disconnect. In truth, nature is far more readily likened to travel than it is to everyday life; synonymous, as it is, with those faraway ideals beyond the everyday reach of an urban dweller. However, urban environments are teeming with a range of plants and animals, known as urban nature, thus providing the opportunity to shed these exotic associations in favour of a far more accessible experience. In order to do so, the form of contemporary urban nature photography will be examined in this thesis, where any representational trends found to be inhibiting its development will be identified, and ultimately challenged.A combination of photographic practice and reflective analysis was used to challenge these problematic trends. Five experiments were carried out. These served to yield a set of photographs which developed alternative representations of the urban nature subject. The resulting photographs of each experiment were subjected to a means of reflection; based on Gary Rolfe’s three stage method but refocused for compatibility with photographic practice, where observations were drawn from one experiment so as to guide the direction of the following experiment. These experiments culminated in a final project: a definitive body of photographs that served to fuse the findings of each experiment into an alternative aesthetic.Identity became a critical theme underlining the representations of the urban nature subject in this thesis, for the displacement of photographic information began to instil the subject with - to some extent - otherworldly sensibilities. This process challenged the active predisposition toward naturalism in urban nature photography, and began to direct such tendencies toward a much broader aesthetic landscape; engaging with unreserved artistic ideologies so as to develop exclusive representations of the urban nature subject

Bike share in Greater Manchester

Active travel offers cities opportunities to address vital challenges such as health, air quality and congestion. Bike share is increasingly evident in cities across the globe, whether in the more conventional docked form found in, for example, London and Paris or the newer dockless technology facilitated through smartphone apps. Such systems offer people a bike to use without the hassle of ownership or storage and, if they have their own bike, access to a bike to make journeys when they do not have it with them. They therefore promise to make cycling an option for a wider population and for more journeys. They offer to complete the elusive ‘last mile’ that can make public transport difficult and to help to make cycling a visible and attractive option for many. This report provides new evidence of experiences and perceptions of bike share in Greater Manchester. It explores whether, to what extent and in what forms bike share can contribute to an overall increase in the number of people cycling, the number of journeys they make and the health and environmental benefits that follow

‘Why would you swap your nice warm van, where you can eat your butties and listen to the radio?’ Mainstreaming a niche of cycle logistics in the United Kingdom

Due to a high level of dependency on fossil fuels, transport is not only a priority for decarbonsation but also a particularly challenging sector to decarbonise. Significant low-carbon energy transitions in mobility will require changes in practices, technologies, infrastructure and policy. Cycle logistics is a growing economic sector. E-cargo bikes have the potential to replace some delivery and service journeys and to be used in combination with other transport modes to form a network of low-carbon deliveries. In comparison with conventional cargo bikes, e-cargo bikes are adapted with electric assist motors, thereby enabling the carriage of heavier loads over longer distances with lower physical strain on the rider. This study positions e-cargo bikes as an emerging technology within the Multilevel Perspective (MLP), a framework for understanding sustainable transitions that is structured around three levels: niche, regime and landscape. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a landscape-level shock that has prompted an interest in increasing active travel and local deliveries. E-cargo bikes are a niche technology, and, although they respond to landscape-level trends, such as decarbonisation and air pollution reduction, the development of cycle logistics faces challenges stemming from the dominant automobility regime. There are limitations with e-cargo bikes themselves, although the technology and practice of e-cargo bike use are developing rapidly; there are factors that relate to the ability of the regime to accommodate and support the niche; there are considerations relating to practices and perceptions; and, finally, there are policy choices that reflect a lack of proactivity in encouraging and enabling e-cargo bike use. The paper explores experiences and perceptions of actual and potential e-cargo bike use and configures the MLP and the relationship between niche, regime(s) and landscape in relation to mobility transitions

Delivering the last mile : scoping the potential for E-cargo bikes

Transport is a major contributor to urban greenhouse gas emissions and therefore of priority in mitigating climate change. In responding to multiple pressures that include development, population growth and recent marked increases in online shopping, cities must identify new technologies to reduce emissions and improve freight efficiency, whilst enabling people and goods to reach their destinations. E-cargo bikes are an emerging technology with a low carbon footprint and lower running costs when compared with vans. They demonstrate increased potential to avoid contributing to, and being delayed by, traffic congestion. In comparison to conventional bikes, the combination of an electric-assist motor and larger frame offers the capacity to carry bulkier and heavier objects over longer distances. There is scope for businesses to use the vehicles for local deliveries and for the bikes to be used in connection with distribution hubs to provide a sustainable last mil

E-scooters in Greater Manchester: appendices

This report presents the !ndings of a University of Salford study focused on the shared e-scooter trial taking place in Greater Manchester and launched in autumn 2020. Sharing schemes are services that make vehicles, such as e-scooters, available for use on a shortterm rental basis. In the case of the Lime e-scooter share scheme operated in Greater Manchester, vehicles are parked in virtual docks within the boundaries of the scheme. The Greater Manchester trial sits within a Department for Transport programme that aims to understand the potential of e-scooters in UK towns and cities, and their impact on people and mobility practices. Greater Manchester’s scheme is run by Lime and has covered two areas in the conurbation. The Salford trial has developed from an initially compact area centred around the University and MediaCityUK and has expanded more recently to encompass a larger area that includes other major employers and transport interchanges. The Rochdale scheme launched in April 2021 and concluded the following year after the planned 12-month trial period

‘Why would you swap your nice warm van, where you can eat your butties and listen to the radio?’ Mainstreaming a niche of cycle logistics in the United Kingdom

Due to a high level of dependency on fossil fuels, transport is not only a priority for decarbonsation but also a particularly challenging sector to decarbonise. Significant low-carbon energy transitions in mobility will require changes in practices, technologies, infrastructure and policy. Cycle logistics is a growing economic sector. E-cargo bikes have the potential to replace some delivery and service journeys and to be used in combination with other transport modes to form a network of low-carbon deliveries. In comparison with conventional cargo bikes, e-cargo bikes are adapted with electric assist motors, thereby enabling the carriage of heavier loads over longer distances with lower physical strain on the rider.This study positions e-cargo bikes as an emerging technology within the Multilevel Perspective (MLP), a framework for understanding sustainable transitions that is structured around three levels: niche, regime and landscape. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a landscape-level shock that has prompted an interest in increasing active travel and local deliveries. E-cargo bikes are a niche technology, and, although they respond to landscape-level trends, such as decarbonisation and air pollution reduction, the development of cycle logistics faces challenges stemming from the dominant automobility regime. There are limitations with e-cargo bikes themselves, although the technology and practice of e-cargo bike use are developing rapidly; there are factors that relate to the ability of the regime to accommodate and support the niche; there are considerations relating to practices and perceptions; and, finally, there are policy choices that reflect a lack of proactivity in encouraging and enabling e-cargo bike use. The paper explores experiences and perceptions of actual and potential e-cargo bike use and configures the MLP and the relationship between niche, regime(s) and landscape in relation to mobility transitions

E-scooters in Greater Manchester : second interim report

The Healthy Active Cities team at the University of Salford is conducting a study alongside the Department for Transport’s e-scooter share scheme trial taking place in Greater Manchester. This Second Interim Report provides an update on data collection and analysis, drawing out themes and implications for subsequent research