Reflective Learning Journal

Reflective Learning Journal

Enrolling on the Transport and Mobility course in January, I wasn’t aware of the effects it would have on my insight into aspects of my everyday life. I came into the module with very little understanding of the difference between the terms ‘transport’ and ‘mobility’, assuming that they were very much the same thing. After taking this module I now have a full grasp on the two concepts and have realized they are two different entities. Transport links people all over the world and use of it has become ever more frequent in recent years, as there is a longstanding interest between transport and economic development (Banister, 2001). “The unique purpose of transportation is to overcome space, which is shaped by a variety of human and physical constraints such as distance, time, administrative divisions and topography (Rodrigue, 2000:1). Mobility on the other hand “is about far more than carrying people and/or commodities from A to B” (Shaw and Hesse, 2010: 306), it is about the interaction between networks, flow and spaces (Shaw et al, 2008). Mobility is a socially produce motion and is “a way of being in the world” in that it is “practiced, it is experienced and it is embodied” (Cresswell, 2006: 3). A clear understanding of these terms has allowed me to significantly develop my knowledge of the two areas the essay will focus on.

Initially, the essay will look at how the module has impacted on my everyday travel and transport. I have found that this part of the module has had a significant effect on my outlook to my mobility. I have found myself comparing my academic insight to my everyday experiences. The essay will focus on my main form of mobility; driving, and explain what impact this has had on my every day travel. The essay will move on to looking at the challenge of how we will shape the future and make our society sustainably mobile. With sustainability now at the forefront of policy changes I have found this current debate fascinating. The essay will take a critical approach to the government’s effort at changing people’s behavior towards their mobility, look into other alternatives and conclude by giving my opinion on what I believe should be done.

I am currently writing this essay looking out over a bye pass into the town center of High Wycombe. I have significantly developed my understanding that each car, bus, motor cyclist or taxi that goes past is more than just movement but an important aspect of everyday mobility. The practice of using the car came to my attention when I was asked to describe a journey that I would take in the week leading up to a lecture. The journey was simply driving from my house in Exeter to the Tesco’s a few miles away;

‘The route took me past the town center, past St Luke’s Campus, along the duel carriage way and into the industrial estate just outside of Exeter. This took place at about 10am, so there was very little traffic on the road. I take this journey every week, and therefore the journey is very familiar to me. I didn’t take too much notice of the surroundings, and as I was with one of my friends, we chatted most of the way. The time is valuable as it allows me to easily get my weekly shop and catch up with my house mates and current affairs listening to the radio.’ (07/02/2013).

Previously I would have never thought of this journey as anything more than a means to an end. The line that connects getting from A to B, despite its apparent immateriality, is both meaningful and laden with power (Cresswell, 2006). For me this is one of the most important aspects that I have learnt; I now understand that my mobility is far more than just reaching my destination. When I was working during the summer I would commute the forty minutes to work every day using my car. On top of this I would use the car to go to the gym and see my friends at weekends. Urry (2006) argues that car drivers lose the ability to perceive local detail, learn of local ways of life and the sense of each different place. Initially I questioned this, assuming that I always appreciated new locations or that I took in my surroundings. However, after taking the trip to Tesco’sI realized that I took in very little attention to my surrounding. When using the car at home to go to work or see friends, because I am concentrating on driving or I am very familiar with the area, I also realized that I paid very little attention each place. This understanding has now made me appreciate my surroundings more, in particular new places and pick out the local details. I have found that a number of academics are particularly negative towards the car.Shove (1998: 9) in particular is very negative; the car “eats up time, steers people towards different sorts of lives, structures everyday routine and dominates time and space”. I disagree with this; to me the car gives me the freedom to go anywhere I want to at any time, rather than be structured to timetables and certain locations through public transport.

For me, one of the most interesting and significant issues with travel, is that it is valuable. Travel time can be useful time; Jain and Lyons (2008) go as far to say that we might regard travel time as a ‘gift’. Previously I never considered my travel time as valuable, almost looking at the time I spent traveling as wasted. However, looking at my car journey, it gives me an opportunity to catch up with my house mates. On other occasions such as on a train, I will finish off work or call home to catch up with my family.Eddington (2006) argues that this valuable time is crucial to the efficiency and functioning of economies and societies.This understanding has made me question policy makers making such large investments into new transport systems, such as High Speed 2.If the time we use on trains, for example, is so valuable, why are we trying to speed our transport system up?

The module has given me a different insight into my every day travel and transport, in particular driving. I have significantly developed my understanding that a journey is not simply getting from A to B, it is laden with meaning. The essay will now go on to look at the challenge of changing our society to becoming more sustainably mobile.

Transport activities account for over 30 per cent of all energy use by final consumers and are widely predicted to be the largest contributor to the growth of carbon dioxide emissions in the 21st century (EEA 2005). “Travel and transport pose major challenges in the context of existing socio-environmental dilemmas that transcend geographical scales from global to local contexts” (Barr, 2011: 789).I have found this current debate very interesting.The essay will now critique the government’s approach in changing people’s behaviour and look at alternative options.

The module has highlighted many of the challenges that we face as a society in changing our behaviour in favour of sustainable mobility. Previously I would have never questioned the government’s approach to achieving this, however, I now believe that the government’s plans are unambitious and take the wrong approach. Much of the debate has been focused on raising awareness through the use of social marketing (DEFRA, 2008) and the philosophy of choice architecture to implement ‘Nudge’ theory (Thaler and Sustein, 2000) as a means to achieve sustainable mobility. A ‘Nudge’ prompts choices without getting people to consider their options consciously (House of Lords, 2011). Having analysed a number of other academic approaches I have realised that this approach is not enough, with too many barriers for change. These include “external constraints (infrastructure, cost), habit, scepticism and disempowerment” (DEFRA, 2008: 7)This is demonstrated by my parents who both require the car for work. My mother is self-employed, working irregular hours and would find it near impossible to use public transport. Shove (2010) argues that changing public behaviour is not enough; we should look beyond the basic ABC (attitude, behaviour, choice) model which fails to understand the wider contexts and practices that could be addressed in a very different way. This argument has helped me think about other approaches in which we can achieve sustainable mobility. This understanding has helped me realise that we need to do more than change people’s behaviour.In a society developed around the motor vehicle, there needs to be significant changes to our infrastructure forpeople to become sustainably mobile.

For me, the most significant model for achieving sustainability is Banisters (2006) sustainable mobility paradigm. Banister (2006: 76) argues that cities should be planned around the individual and not the car, stating that “cities should be designed at the personal scale to allow both high quality accessibility and a high quality environment”. He makes the point that it is not the intention to prohibit the use of the car, but to design a city that would be at a suitable scale that people would not need a car. This alternative approach requires actions to reduce the need to travel, encourage modal shit, and to reduce the length of trips to encourage greater efficiency in the transport system. Having looked at a number of academic approaches I feel that this is the most ambitious and the most effective. I have significantly developed my understanding in this area and believe that we need to be more ambitious to make a significant change. Taking this further, I think that educating people about specific environmental problems “will change their consumer behaviour” (Hobson, 2002: 96) and will help with what is known as the ‘value-action gap’ (Blake, 1999). The more people that know about the possible risks associated with our current transport trends the more people that are likely to change. Having looked at a number of areas, I now feel that a combination of Banister’s (2006) sustainable mobility paradigm and filling the ‘value action gap’(Blake, 1999) are essential to meeting our sustainable mobility.

This module has greatly deepened my understanding of my everyday travel. Prior to taking the module I would never have seen my travel time as valuable and only saw a journey as getting from A to B. Having applied a number of academic perspectives to my own experiences I now understand that this is not the case. I see my travel time as extremely valuable, and my understanding has allowed me to transfer these thoughts into broader issues such asmajor transport proposals, for example, High Speed 2. The course has also given me a new understanding to the challenge of becoming a sustainably mobile society. Prior to the module I assumed that the government’s approach would be the most effective, however, having significantly developed my understanding in this area, I believe that this is not the case. This knowledge has been essential to me as it has allowed me to form my own opinion on what I believe the best approach would be to achieving sustainable mobility.

References

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