Understanding the needs of reduced mobility users for micro-mobility
- Varberg, Sweden
Participants: Elderly people
Co-creation format: Feedback Workshop
Co-creation phase: Co-evaluate
The Project
The city of Varberg has a vision to create a sustainable city for all citizens. This includes sustainable and active ways to move about in and around the city centre. This includes different ways of shared micro mobility as alternative to cars and a complement to public transport.
In this context Varberg has a relatively large and fast growing elderly population. The coming years the number of inhabitants over 75 years of age will increase with more than 30 %. The elderly is a group that don’t use shared micro mobility today.
Another important group are persons with physical impairment. Like the elderly this group do not use the shared micro mobility services provided in Varberg today.
The object of the pilot DRIVA is to explore how a shared micro mobility service for these groups could be designed. This is to be done in a co-creation process with the target groups.
Why is co-creation needed?
The major challenge in the DRIVA-pilot is to obtain the right vehicles for the pilot and make them available in a shared system.
Another challenge is to limit the geographical scope of the pilot. In early interactions with the target groups the geography of the city centre is a bit limited for the pilot.
We also wanted to understand the needs of the target group and why they would like to use such vehicles (for example explore Varberg together with their grandchildren).
How the co-creation event was done
Description and objectives
We ran a focus group discussion with elderly people, aiming to find out whether the needs for elderly people were the same as people with physical impairment, to later find out what would be the possible vehicles to shared in a micro-mobility service. We had an open discussion about possible vehicles to use in the pilot.
We had representatives for different associations, and two project managers from the City of Varberg facilitated the session.
We invited them for a new meeting in June to talk more about interested vehicles. The test panel has been informed about the time-table for the meetings during the project.
Group size: 3 people
Duration: 1.5 hours
Venue: Municipality of Varberg
Workshop activities
The session involved a design thinking workshop on the topic of micromobility.
Insights from the Workshop
- The conclusion of the meeting was that we need to look at several different sharing systems. Firstly, to complement the municipality’s bike rental system with bikes adapted for more people. Secondly, to start up a stationary loan bike system with specially customized bikes. Both systems could complement each other and broaden the range of offerings for more target groups in Varberg.
- Tricycles are not very popular among people with disabilities. Cargo bikes are a better solution, but they must be electric. There is better balance when the cargo box is in the front rather than the back. Still, they are a bit sluggish to steer. If you have a child with a disability, you want to be able to make eye contact with them. The downside is that the child doesn’t move much if you have a cargo bike. Many people with muscle weakness need back support on the bike seat to be able to hold up their bodies. Those who have had a hip replacement surgery need low bikes that are easy to get on and off. Shock absorption is important on bikes in Varberg due to the cobblestone streets.
- Get rid of physical barriers like edges and sloping roads in the city centre.
- People with disabilities often need customized vehicles which can be booked in advance.