Dear colleagues,

Please find below and attached a reminder of the call for abstracts for the Third International Workshop in the Black Forest (Freiburg, Germany), 28th June – 1st July 2016, on Desirable Transport Futures. The abstract submission deadline is 1st Feb and abstracts are to be submitted to [log in to unmask]

Kind regards,
Paul


CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

Desirable transport futures

Third international workshop in the Black Forest (Freiburg, Germany)
28th June – 1st of July 2016
Drawing on the outcomes of the workshops hosted in 2012 and 2014 and the wider scientific literature, there is now considerable evidence that voluntary changes in transport behaviour are difficult to achieve. The 2016 workshop in Germany’s Black Forest will consequently focus on desirable transport futures, that is, visions of desirable sustainable transport systems that have the potential to be actively taken up by wide cross-sections of society. A starting point for this is the analysis of sustainable transport transitions that are now underway, and the analysis of the structural, political, institutional and social/psychological factors underlying those transitions.

The e-bike revolution is one example of societal change involving a low-carbon technological innovation, with uptake and adoption motivated by convenience, speed, health and cost. Many in Europe have re-discovered the bicycle as a transport mode with diverse benefits, and there now exists widespread and growing demand for infrastructures that facilitate cycling and other active forms of transport. Cycling cities have become a desirable transport future. The rise of car sharing systems, in place of car ownership, is another timely example of a mobility transition. In contrast, flying is highly desirable for many, but continued air travel on a global scale is incompatible with a sustainable transport future, and it is here that the need for urgent transition is now widely accepted.

However, before entertaining alternatives to the current unsustainable transport system, it is essential to know what desirable transport futures may look like. The Desirable transport futures workshop seeks to accommodate a wide range of perspectives on what might be considered 'desirable' mobility. The critical analysis of mobility transitions, including barriers confronting the achievement of desirable transport futures, are contributions that would add value to the workshop. The main aim of the 2016 workshop is to seek inter-disciplinary approaches to transitioning the tourism and transport sectors to a sustainable emissions path. Insights from across the social and natural sciences are very much encouraged.

Key research areas:
The program will consist of plenary and multi-disciplinary sessions and discussions in plenum. Abstract submissions are particularly welcome that address the following research areas:

Desired transport. Future visions must be built upon desired transport systems. We seek to critically explore examples of spontaneous market uptake of desired new transport systems. How have e-bike, car sharing, high-speed rail and successful public transport systems emerged in certain societies (e.g., Switzerland)? What factors have acted as facilitators of change and how were barriers overcome? How important are individuals, i.e. specific people, in initiating change? What were the key roles of stakeholders and were low carbon transitions an objective from the outset or a coincidental outcome? What lessons can be learned from these revolutions and what wider roles may such successes play in developing towards low carbon transport and tourism?

The role of fashion. Many trends in tourism and travel are fashion driven. Certain destinations can rise and fall substantially in a very short time. In the Netherlands long haul travel grew rapidly until 2008 when it stabilised and started to decline. What factors influence significant changes in long established patterns of consumption? Why has ‘environmental consciousness’ proved largely ineffective in driving low carbon transport transitions? What potential do social marketing, celebrity endorsement and role model advocacy offer, and how can the effectiveness of these strategies be maximised? What other strategies may exist to influence and encourage the fashionability of more sustainable forms of tourism (e.g., caravanning, train journeys, ‘loca-tourism’, slow tourism and staycationing)? How can industry, government and public organisations engage in such processes, and what in particular is the role of science?

Economic issues. The economic arguments for growth in aviation are well established, even though many assessments appear to remain partial. But what are the economic arguments that support the development of sustainable transport systems? What economic growth scenarios may be associated with low carbon transitions to rail and electric vehicle fleets, and the new infrastructures required to facilitate active transport modes? What do economic models predict for the redistribution of travel flows under low carbon transport scenarios? Contributions to a more complete understanding of the economics of low carbon transport scenarios are critically important to the shift toward desired transport futures.

Public health and wellbeing. Critical issues arise when contemplating how the sustainable transportation agenda is coupled with questions of public health and wellbeing. How can the public be engaged and empowered to effectively lobby policymakers? How can social cohesion be achieved within countries, and between neighbouring cities and countries that have interfacing local/regional transport systems? What potential do desirable transport futures offer to overcome personal well-being and public health risks, such as the risk of pandemic associated with long-haul flights?

Issues of equity and ethics. The Desirable transport futures workshop seeks to move beyond the Eurocentrism that has framed debate in the two workshops to date. While the West has contributed disproportionately to the environmental crisis, emissions of unsustainable transportation are globally dispersed. Insights that are theoretically, methodologically and practically informed are required to understand sustainable transportation issues as they apply to emerging world regions. Growth from the middle classes in parts of Asia, Latin America, South America and Africa is also driving up global transport emissions. What equity issues arise in association with the transition from old to new transport systems? What ethical issues arise with the growth of unsustainable transportation in less developed countries? How will the continuing but declining emission footprint be distributed between countries and sectors globally? What will be the impacts of emission trading, taxation regimes, subsidies and infrastructure planning, and how will they vary between regions?

Advocacy- and participatory-based approaches. The need exists for advocacy- and   participatory-based approaches to enable more effective communication with policy communities, and to facilitate collaboration and co-production with policymakers and other upstream stakeholders. What opportunities exist to implement new or underutilised methods such as simulation, serious gaming and in-depth multi-stakeholder approaches? What potential do new approaches offer to communicate the science of climate change, and internalise the challenges inherent in responding to climate change? How can new approaches serve to highlight the contribution of travel in global GHG emissions, the inherent difficulties in responding to unsustainable transportation, and potential pathways to desirable transport futures.

Biennial workshop series
The workshop series is sponsored by Linnaeus University (Sweden), the Centre for Sustainable Tourism and Transport (NHTV Breda University, The Netherlands), the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (University of Surrey, United Kingdom), the Department of Tourism (University of Otago, New Zealand) and the Western Norway Research Institute.

The first two workshops addressed Psychological and behavioural factors in understanding and governing sustainable tourism mobility (2012) and The psychology of governing sustainable tourism mobility: bridging the science-policy gap (2014). The 2012 workshop delivered a Routledge edited book (www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415839372) and a special issue in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism (www.tandfonline.com/toc/rsus20/21/7). A further special issue of the 2014 workshop contributions will be published in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism in early 2016.

The intended outputs of the 2016 Desirable transport futures workshop include special issues in both the Journal of Sustainable Tourism and Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment (2017/2018). We thus encourage all participants to submit highly developed papers.

Organizing committee:
Scott Cohen (University of Surrey, United Kingdom)
Stefan Gössling (Linnaeus University, Sweden; Western Norway Research Institute)
James Higham (University of Otago, New Zealand)
Paul Peeters (NHTV Breda University, The Netherlands)
Eke Eijgelaar (NHTV Breda University, The Netherlands)
For queries, please contact: [log in to unmask]


Scientific advisory board:
Dr Stewart Barr (University of Exeter, UK)
Dr Felix Creutzig (Technische Universität Berlin, Germany)
Prof Michael Hall (University of Canterbury, NZ)
Dr Paul Hanna (University of Surrey, UK)
Dr Julia Hibbert (Bournemouth University, UK)
Dr Debbie Hopkins (University of Otago, NZ)
Dr Tim Schwanen (TSU, University of Oxford, UK)
Prof Bert van Wee (University of Delft, The Netherlands)

Where:
The conference venue, Hotel Fortuna (see http://www.hotel-fortuna-kirchzarten.de/), is situated in the little hamlet of Kirchzarten, less than ten kilometres from Freiburg im Breisgau, the gateway to the German Black Forest. It offers not only a perfect venue to host a stimulating workshop, but also opportunities for hiking, cycling and experiencing nature, and visiting the picturesque city of Freiburg. Kirchzarten is easily accessible by train from the Freiburg main station, which in turn is connected to the European high speed train network. For those arriving by air, Germany’s largest airport Frankfurt is just a two-hour train ride away.

Cost:
Registration for the full workshop, which starts with a welcome dinner on Tuesday the 28th of June and ends on Friday morning the 1st of July, is €300. This non-variable fee includes three dinners in various Black Forest locations, coffee breaks and lunches.

Participants are to separately arrange accommodation directly with Hotel Fortuna at the conference rate of about €70 per night including breakfast (http://www.hotel-fortuna-kirchzarten.de). Please note that Hotel Fortuna only has 30 rooms, which will be provided on a first-come, first served basis. Further accommodation is available in the adjacent Hotel Sonne (http://www.sonne-kirchzarten.de). Early booking is recommended.


Abstract submissions:
All delegates are expected to present papers, as authors or co-authors. Abstracts should be maximum 300 words and will be reviewed by the organizing committee and the scientific advisory board. We encourage contributions that cover research ideas, research in progress, exploratory research and untested hypotheses and multi-disciplinary discussions and overviews. The total number of delegates is limited to 40. Abstracts are to be submitted to [log in to unmask]

Key dates:
Abstract submission deadline: 1 February 2016
Acceptance of abstracts and registration opens: 14 March 2016
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