CulturalRoad, a Collaborative Approach to Future Mobility
Given the rapidly evolving pace of urban contexts, there is a growing demand for sustainable and inclusive mobility solutions. In response, the CulturalRoad project aims to develop sustainable and widely accepted deployment plans for Cooperative, Connected, and Autonomous Mobility (CCAM) services.
However, these deployment strategies face several challenges. Firstly, the limited interoperability among test beds restricts the development of standards suitable for diverse ecosystems, often focusing on specific contexts over integrative approaches. Secondly, these strategies often adopt a top-down approach, neglecting input from local communities in the development process. These shortcomings can hinder the creation of adaptable and inclusive mobility solutions that cater to the diverse needs of all citizens.
To address these challenges, CulturalRoad is committed to ensuring that the deployments meet the needs of all, advocating for active engagement with local communities to gather their feedback. By incorporating participatory planning methodologies, the project seeks to gather valuable insights about the mobility needs of diverse cultural backgrounds and geographical regions. This inclusive bottom-up approach ensures that CCAM solutions are tailored to meet diverse demands rather than being one-size-fits-all.
To achieve this goal, CulturalRoad will develop a five-point star rating system. This innovative tool will allow stakeholders to collaboratively assess and prioritise CCAM deployment plans based on inclusivity, acceptance, safety, physiological factors, and network optimisation. Additionally, a two-step co-creation framework will be defined through participatory processes involving citizens, public administrations, transport authorities, operators, and other stakeholders. This proposed framework will be implemented in demonstration sites across Europe, including Barcelona, Spain; Karlsruhe, Germany; Eilat, Israel; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and the United Kingdom, led by CARNET.
The two-step framework involves first identifying target groups through workshops comprising industry representatives, service operators, policymakers, citizen associations, and others. In the second stage, focus groups will be conducted, with these target audiences to gather the needs that CCAM solutions should address. Throughout these processes, CARNET will act as the evaluator, while the PTO of the Barcelona region, ATM (Autoritat del Transport Metropolità), another project partner, will serve as the moderator. The results from the analysis, performed using grounded theory, will be used to develop a new and updated CCAM deployment roadmap.
In addition to this task, CARNET also participates in the innovation management task, ensuring that the project’s results are implemented to best meet the market’s needs using currently available technologies with a mid-term vision.
This project was born in response to the escalating transport demand, which has led the European Commission to prioritise Cooperative, Connected, and Autonomous Mobility (CCAM) to align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). CCAM not only enhances efficiency but also encourages the introduction of new mobility services like autonomous on-demand responsive transport (DRT), promising a positive impact. Yet, disjointed CCAM implementation strategies across countries pose challenges due to geographical and cultural disparities. Through the collaborative approach of CulturalRoad, these hurdles are intended to be overcome, aiming for a successful implementation of CCAM technologies.
