Mutual Mobility
Basic information
Project Title
Mutual Mobility
Full project title
Mutual Mobility - a toolkit and case study for democratising urban mobility.
Category
Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking
Project Description
In order to achieve a mobility solution that people truly enjoy using, they themselves must be the ones designing it. So how might we include citizens in the development of urban mobility?
Mutual Mobility is a community-driven service that connects existing urban infrastructure and applies collaborative methodology in order to leverage the design process of micro vehicles as part of an open hardware network. The framework developed for the project was realised in a case study in Copenhagen.
Mutual Mobility is a community-driven service that connects existing urban infrastructure and applies collaborative methodology in order to leverage the design process of micro vehicles as part of an open hardware network. The framework developed for the project was realised in a case study in Copenhagen.
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Copenhagen, Denmark
Urban or rural issues
Mainly urban
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
Despite being one of the main contributors of emissions and material throughput, the transportation sector still operates in a siloed and conservative way compared to other fields, lagging behind in sustainable thinking and user participation. At the same time, the way people live together and their ability to get around, define the quality of life especially in urban areas, where spatial and social mobility are deeply connected. So, a public transport that fails to offer accessible, convenient, and attractive solutions directly compromises people's quality of life.
Mutual Mobility's aim is thus to enable people in cities to move freely and live self-determined lives, by making them part of the creation process of mobility means. Therefore, applied collaborative methodology and connected urban structures are leveraged to design vehicles for micro mobility as part of an open hardware network. The project comprises a service design framework, a collaborative methodology and a case study run in Copenhagen, creating a first tangible product. Both, the project itself and its outcome are subject to open design to make the process available and eventually create a platform for urban experimentation.
Mutual Mobility activates communities globally to co-create locally, by organising co-design processes in different cities. The results of these community-driven initiatives, mobility solutions tailored to local needs and conditions, are then made available on an open-source platform to be tried out and further developed in other places. Throughout the process the developed methodology enables participants and designers to collaborate, ideate and discuss work open and effectively. And by linking up urban institutions like maker spaces, fab-labs, universities and museums, the cities’ potential for decentralised production is unlocked to prototype, build and maintain the developed solutions in local circular systems.
Mutual Mobility's aim is thus to enable people in cities to move freely and live self-determined lives, by making them part of the creation process of mobility means. Therefore, applied collaborative methodology and connected urban structures are leveraged to design vehicles for micro mobility as part of an open hardware network. The project comprises a service design framework, a collaborative methodology and a case study run in Copenhagen, creating a first tangible product. Both, the project itself and its outcome are subject to open design to make the process available and eventually create a platform for urban experimentation.
Mutual Mobility activates communities globally to co-create locally, by organising co-design processes in different cities. The results of these community-driven initiatives, mobility solutions tailored to local needs and conditions, are then made available on an open-source platform to be tried out and further developed in other places. Throughout the process the developed methodology enables participants and designers to collaborate, ideate and discuss work open and effectively. And by linking up urban institutions like maker spaces, fab-labs, universities and museums, the cities’ potential for decentralised production is unlocked to prototype, build and maintain the developed solutions in local circular systems.
Key objectives for sustainability
Through the use of existing infrastructures and locally sourced materials and components, Mutual Motion can help to create means of mobility that are far more sustainable than traditional vehicles. Also, the global knowledge sharing accelerates innovation processes to test and improve mobility solutions that require less energy, promote an active and healthy lifestyle and whose materials can be kept in local circulations.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
By integrating urban communities in the design process, the resulting mobility solutions have a much higher degree of functional and aesthetic response to local needs and requirements. Therefore, also the user experience can be constantly adapted and improved, leading to an overall increased perceived quality.
Key objectives for inclusion
Mutual Mobility promotes an inclusive and collaborative urban culture by encouraging individuals across all groups of society to take part in the creation process of their own means of transportation. Through this process, the price of using these also decreases, lowing the hurdle for everyone and thus supporting attractive public transportation.
How Citizens benefit
Local communities in cities are approached and invited to take part in design workshops. In the beginning this happens in focus groups to get diverse input while keeping the group size efficient. In the case study run in Copenhagen, the participants together created essential input for the design process.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
The combination of collaborative methodologies, connected urban infrastructure, open hardware and mobility is a novel approach in the field of urban micro mobility.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
Mutual Motion combines the fields of design, open hardware and mobility to deliver an unprecedented result.
Methodology used
Combining elements from design thinking, the collaborative and the open approach the ideation process is divided into two main stages, depicted in scope over time. Scope here jointly defines the number of actively involved participants as well as the divergent and convergent volume of ideas, the level of definition. In the first stage the situation is assessed in focus groups of up to ten people per session and a first tangible idea is formed. This is crucial for the second stage, the open call, since a too abstract briefing can be misleading and unclear, thus reducing the interest and response of people. So, after the open call, which includes 25 to 50 active participants, with possibly more additional suggestions, the general viability of the proposed concept is evaluated, and concrete details can be worked out. If in this phase it becomes clear that a reiteration is required, another focus group period can be started. Otherwise, the prototyping and production of the first test vehicles can begin, gradually increasing the number of involved users. Noteworthily, however, there is no definite ‘end’ to this process since also further iterations might become necessary or the idea is picked up in another city. Rather, it is an ongoing loop, always open for change and improvements. Due to limited time and resources, the case study run as part of this thesis only covers the first, focus group stage of this framework. So, its outcome can be seen as the first tangible prototype and the publication of this report could represent the kick-off of the open call.
How stakeholders are engaged
Throughout the project, local institutions like maker spaces and design agencies, specialists from various related fields and volunteers from the city alike, were involved in different stages of the project in interviews, workshops and ideation sessions.
Global challenges
The local solutions improve the lives of urban dwellers everywhere and can turn cities into laboratories of innovation and urban resilience that other cities can get inspired and learn from.
Learning transferred to other parties
Through its open-source character, the transfer and adaptation of processes in other places is an essential part of the project.
Keywords
Urban mobility
Collaborative design
Open hardware
Circularity
Community activation
