Urban transport system changes in the UK: In danger of populism?

Many cities seek to change their transport systems to reduce negative outcomes. This generally involves measures supporting active and public transport, restricting vehicle use. Infrastructure modification and legislative developments are often perceived as ‘attacks’, and lead to resistance by specific groups. This paper uses critical discourse analysis to evaluate a convenience sample of 185 social media threads opposing Ultra-Low Emission Zones (ULEZ), Clean Air Zones (CAZ), and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) in four cities in the UK, Oxford, London, Birmingham, and Bradford. Themes are identified through MaxQDA to determine the range of discursive strategies used, as well as to understand their interrelationships. Findings highlight intersections of populist politics and (sustainable) transport policymaking and planning in UK cities. The understanding of the mechanisms at work can facilitate the development of less divisive strategies for transforming urban transport systems.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.105273
• Record URL:
  • http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275124004876
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/02642751
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Gössling, S
  • Schweiggart, N
  • Nieuwenhuijsen, M
  • McEachan, R R C
  • Khreis, H
• Publication Date: 2024-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 105273
• Serial:
  • Cities
  • Volume: 153
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0264-2751
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02642751

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air quality management; Conflict management; Public opinion; Sustainable transportation; Travel demand management; Urban transportation
• Geographic Terms: Birmingham (England); Bradford (England); London (England); Oxford (England)
• Subject Areas: Environment; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01928339
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 23 2024 3:26PM