An Inter- and Transdisciplinary Approach to Developing and Testing a New Sustainable Mobility System

Abstract

Sustainability research is frequently tasked with the development of concrete solutions that can be directly applied to socio-environmental problems as such this paper presents and discusses an inter- and transdisciplinary approach to developing and testing a mobility-on-demand-system in a “real world laboratory” set up in Schorndorf, Germany. This paper addresses the following questions: (1) How can stakeholders be involved in the research and development process and become co-designers? (2) What are the suitable ways of supporting and facilitating interdisciplinary exchange and joint work at different places? The main contribution of this paper is the description of a methodological approach. It thereby reflects on the process of inter- and transdisciplinary work in the development phase and pilot operation. In addition, a joint working document, a so called “Specification Book”, is utilized to facilitate teamwork and enable the exchange of scientific knowledge within the team. The experiences in the project are also reflected upon and specific recommendations are determined. The paper further reflects on the possibilities and challenges of the methodology and provides recommendations for its application. The originality of the paper lies in its description and reflection of a method that goes beyond the participation of users in the design phase of the project.

Document type: Article