Exploring pedestrians' subjective experience of motor traffic within the road environment

Project details

Full project title: Exploring pedestrians' subjective experience of motor traffic within the road environment

Sponsor: Centre for Transport and Society studentship

Research student: Thomas Calvert

Supervisory team: Dr Erel Avineri, Dr Charles Musselwhite, and Dr Yusak Susilo

Start date: October 2010

Finish date: October 2013

Research briefing sheet: Download the briefing sheet document (PDF)

Project summary

The research examines the subjective experiences that pedestrians have of motor traffic when walking in the city. These experiences may be of the aesthetic impacts of motor traffic, feelings of danger imparted by being near to traffic and perceptions of power relationships existing between the two modes, amongst other elements.

The justification of the research is primarily experiential: that is to say that it is important because our experience of motor traffic is important, both in its quality and in its extensivity - many of us experience being a pedestrian near motor traffic every day.

The research will seek to understand in which ways this experience affects our well being and quality of life. The research holds that a concern for well being and quality of life are important considerations for our society and hence for policy. Due to the emphasis on subjective experience, qualitative methods will make up the main body of field research. These will include interviews prompted by photographs or sound recordings of motor traffic and 'walk along' interviews on the streets of Bristol. The project will also include a quantitative element.