When the Tramway Arrives in Lindholmen, Gothenburg - Perceived Accessibility and Social Inclusion in the City

Abstract

In Gothenburg, a new tramway to Lindholmen has recently been introduced, while further expansions are planned in the near future. Therefore, it is interesting to examine how this implementation has impacted perceived accessibility among tramway users, as a shift towards sustainable transport modes is necessary to achieve sustainable accessibility. Furthermore, perceptions of accessibility may influence travel behaviour and transport mode choice. Planning practices and policy directions guide tramway development in Gothenburg; therefore, practitioners' understandings of accessibility and social inclusion are essential to understanding how accessibility outcomes may differ between socio-economic groups following the tramway implementation in Lindholmen. This study uses a mixed methods approach, where a survey is conducted to capture how perceived accessibility is affected among different groups of tramway users, and interviews are conducted with practitioners, from different backgrounds, within the City of Gothenburg to capture their understandings of accessibility and social inclusion in relation to the tramway expansion in Lindholmen and future expansions. Findings reveal an overall improvement in perceived accessibility among tramway users as a result of the tramway introduction, although it is unevenly distributed: tramway users who lost a direct connection to central Gothenburg as a result of its implementation are experiencing a deterioration in their accessibility. Interviews with practitioners reveal multiple understandings of accessibility, as well as challenges in working towards social sustainability in certain contexts, because current planning practices and problem representations are driven by the availability of economic resources and travel demand. Social sustainability is still emphasised in their work, yet accessibility planning inevitably leads to trade-offs and tensions, with some experiencing an improvement in their individual accessibility and others a deterioration, as indicated by survey results.