Katrine Hartmann-Petersen

Mixing Methods in the Search for Mobile Complexity

The world is moving. People are on the move. To many people auto-mobility is the cement of everyday life, and without the car, everyday life cannot be coherent (Freudendal-Pedersen, 2009; Freudendal-Pedersen & Hartmann-Petersen, 2006; Drewes Nielsen, 2005). Mobility and modernity are merged (Urry, 2000; Urry, 2007; Canzler et al., 2008). Late modern changes in everyday life spheres are complex, with our understanding of these transformations in a constant state of flux (Bauman, 2000). As this affects the way we perceive and analyse the world around us, it calls for new methodological approaches and new ways of collecting empirical data. Also important here is the role we, as researchers, play in the research process between research design, data collection and analysis.

Interactive environmental planning: creating utopias and storylines within a mobilities planning project

This article presents a research project on mobility management in Danish municipalities aimed at creating more sustainable mobilities. The project, called Formula M (2011–2014), worked within sciences, public and private sectors, and civil society. Often contemporary projects in both planning and designing sustainable mobilities fall short when it comes to changing praxis to limit CO2 emissions, where they just concentrate on technocratic elements. They often neglect the ‘why’ and ‘for what’ which is needed in order to drive such change. In the Formula M project, focus has been on supporting the planners involved in the project on their ‘why’ and ‘for what’. Based on a theoretical understanding of relational and collaborative planning the article contributes to an understanding of which approaches and methods can be used to facilitate the relationships and dialogues between many actors. Methodologically, this has been sought through a specific focus on the role of utopias as a tool for storytelling.

Experiments and dialogue are pushing agendas

In 2004, the Danish researcher Søren Riis and his business partner Matias Mølgaard were students in Germany. Inspired by the well-coordinated carpooling system, Mitfahrzentrale, they conceptualized and founded GoMore. GoMore is now the biggest car sharing and carpooling company in Denmark with growing markets all over Scandinavia and in Spain. GoMore is the first company to combine ride sharing and car sharing in one system. In this conversation with Katrine Hartmann-Petersen, Søren Riis elaborates on his experiences on sharing economies and the future of sustainable urban mobilities.