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MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development

global challenges, engineering solutions
 

Urban Mobility in London.

The way in which people move within a city is a key determinant of its overall success, in terms of its economy, the environment and its social aspects. London provides one of the World’s most sophisticated transport systems and is experiencing a modal shift from private motorised transport to public transport, cycling and walking. Encouraging walking is a key strategic focus for the Mayor of London, in particular due to its potential for alleviating strain on capacity of the public transport system. This research uses both quantitative statistical methods and qualitative observational analysis to identify key socio-economic, demographic, route characteristic and urban form factors that influence the propensity of an individual to walk to work. The results explain how the spatial form and historical urban development of London accounts for the substantial variability in walking rates exhibited across the  city. Further, it is shown that empirically commuters are sensitive to factors such as distance, time, cost and reliability of the trip, but not particularly influenced by weather conditions, crime levels and the strenuousness of route. Altogether, these results allow decision-makers to prioritise effectively in their design of policies that encourage a continued modal shift away from vehicular transport to other methods of travel, in particular, walking.

 

Course Overview

Context

The need to engage in better problem definition through careful dialogue with all stakeholder groups and a proper recognition of context.

Perspectives

An ability to work with specialists from other disciplines and professional groups acknowledging that technical innovation and business skills also must be understood, nurtured and combined as precursors to the successful implementation of sustainable solutions.

Change

An understanding of mechanisms for managing change in organisations so future engineers are equipped to play a leadership role.

Tools

An awareness of a range of assessment frameworks, sustainability metrics and methodologies such as Life Cycle Analysis, Systems Dynamics, Multi-Criteria Decision making and Impact Assessment.