How will e-scooters transform urban spaces?

E-scooters have entered the cityscape — and have changed the way we get around.

“What we can see around the world is that e-scooters have disrupted the existing landscape of modals,” said Samira Dibaj, a doctoral student in the use of e-scooters. urban mobility. She explains that how people use e-scooters depends on context, including the broader and current urban environment. transportation infrastructure.

Case in point: the way e-scooters are used in European cities with developed public transport systems is different from how they are used in US cities that lack such services.

“We found e-scooters to be used in both functional and enjoyable ways,” says Dibaj. Recreational rides are the main usage in both the US and Europe, she explained, but e-scooters are replacing taxis or ride-hailing services in US cities, while in US cities. European cities, they often replace the use of buses or trams.

Environmentally friendly means of transport or an option for young and healthy people?

Whether the environment and social benefits The launch of e-scooters largely depends on how they are used and how they fit into the urban mobility landscape. E-scooters are part of a shift in transportation known as micro-mobility, where short daily trips are made using lightweight vehicles like bicycles instead of cars. .

“E-scooters can contribute to reducing overall noise pollution and carbon emissions in cities — if they replace driving a car, not walking,” says Samira Dibaj.

Ultimately, all the actors involved – the company, the residents, and the city – influence the role the scooter will take on. Nitin Sawhney, a professor of research practice in responsible AI and participatory design, explains that public and private actors can have very different priorities, leading to the most risks. Certainty: tools not designed with accessibility in mind may exclude certain users, and economic factors may also restrict access or exclude certain groups.

“It’s the bigger arc we should be thinking about,” says Sawhney. “People say micro-mobility is a technology that takes us to the finish line, but we have to ask ‘Last mile spent’. for whom?”‘.

“The claim is that e-scooters provide a new platform, but they don’t really extend mobility to people who can’t use current options, like the elderly, disabled or young children. — groups that aren’t currently using electric scooters. And we have to ask why they don’t and what other mobility alternatives would suit them.”

Why jump on the train?

There is currently no clear understanding of why and how people use e-scooters – beyond the very basics.

“It is very confusing to rely on usage data from e-scooters,” says Nitin Sawhney. “We need to expand the richness of the data we’re collecting. We can do interviews and qualitative analysis on things like quality of life, ethnographic data, perception people’s knowledge and preferences.”

Dibaj is part of a group that collects such data over the summer to understand how and why electric vehicles are used. They are also hoping to find out if these devices can be used as an alternative to other forms of transportation, as well as why some people have stopped using e-scooters or haven’t tried them yet. they.

“I am trying to understand not only technology but also the mutual reframing between technology and society – which of course can have positive and negative consequences for the society itself,” explains Dibaj. “. “The root of this mindset is the need to develop a human-centered problem-solving approach.”

Miloš N. Mladenović, assistant professor of transportation engineering who is overseeing Dibaj, says that the findings will ultimately benefit all involved, who together need to manage the interaction between technology and society.

“Ultimately, emerging technologies like e-scooters are like a mirror to society, revealing the deeper structural challenges we face in the long term,” said Mladenović. — such as the climate crisis and social inequality”.

Citizens of the future

To make it all work, there needs to be good and participatory governance processes around e-scooters and micro-controller capabilities. All actors and affected groups need to be heard and have access to and understanding decision making process and the data drives it. E-scooters also affect people who don’t use them — for example, unused scooters on aisles or sidewalks are hindering people with mobility problems — and groups This needs to be heard.

A city is a shared space, and its design must support the needs of all its inhabitants. Private companies have made e-scooters a popular image, but without the involvement and oversight from public planners, advocacy groups and others, the outcome would be The result would be a system tailored to the wants of consumers rather than to the needs of the public.

Nitin Sawhney explains that everyone will benefit if e-scooter data is shared responsibly – with cities. Despite the shortcomings of a purely quantitative approach, these data are valuable to urban planners who help bring cities to life.

“Data on urban mobility can contribute to better urban planning and modeling. It can tell a lot about mobility patterns in the city and how the roads for urban mobility are. The city could be better designed. It could enable a conversation about the urban future.”

To the end, e-scooters and similar technologies raise a number of questions, from the data we use and how we manage it to the responsibilities of different actors and how different groups are included in the decision-making process. decision. For Samira Dibaj, they are just part of a bigger picture.

“We need to understand many complex interactions and details to really understand why people behave a certain way,” she said.

“This job requires me not only to think in a conceptually different way, but also to rely on different methods of understanding people. For me, this is just the beginning of a long journey. in understanding human behavior.”