Leads: Prof Peter Jones, Prof Nicola Christie
“What new interventions can help achieve the transformations in human perception and behaviour, without which the transition to Net Zero cannot occur?”
Successful transitions require acceptance by people, not only of the transition itself but also its perceived implications for ongoing quality of life. Perceptions driving human acceptance arise from the predictive coding capabilities of the human brain, based on prior lived experience coupled with the temporal analysis of the multisensorial stimuli informing about the present state of the ambient world. The UKCRIC-UCL Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory (PEARL) enables us uniquely to study these interactions from the level of the neuron through to the redesign of the built environment including buildings, vehicles, people and infrastructure. Thus we can test proposed interventions for their intra- and inter-actions within and between people and the environment, examining the effects on physical, physiological, neurological and mental health. The approach has informed the design of new London Underground Piccadilly Line trains and issues such as thermal comfort in buses (PEARL design specifications are now mandatory for all new buses in London), crowding, lighting and sound/noise environments.
While Case Studies will provide in-depth analysis of recent/current interventions/policies, this work stream will investigate identified knowledge gaps through Pilot Interventions (PI), designed taking account of the early findings of HLTHub, implemented and evaluated within the lifetime of the Hub. Pilot Interventions will be designed, appraised and evaluated using the systems-based transdisciplinary conceptual framework and evaluation framework as well as the insights from the Peoples Panel on evaluation of the Case studies .
Workstream 4 is exploring new interventions and ways of engaging stakeholders for transforming human perception and behaviour, without which the transition to Net Zero cannot occur. This includes:
1.Trials at the Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory (PEARL) designed to assess user perceptions and likely behavioural responses to alternative street features designed to promote active travel and public transport use. Production of full evaluation and policy recommendation reports. HLTHub partners are invited to propose and develop specific experiments, for example:
a. Bus stop by-passes and floating bus stops
b. Footway vehicular crossovers (“drop kerbs”)
c. Cycle/pedestrian conflicts at major junctions
d. Novel conceptions of mobility hubs as place-based interventions
e. Conflicts on footways
2.Developing and demonstrating methods to support the co-design of contentious local schemes, such as Low Traffic Neighbourhoods; and supporting local authorities in developing effective and publicly supported schemes.
3.Addressing the ‘Avoid’ component of carbon reduction in transport by documenting – and developing – cases where services such as health, social care, and education can be provided more effectively and efficiently with reduced need for travel (i.e. shorter and fewer trips).
Contact: Healthy Low-Carbon Transport Hub Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Boldrewood Innovation Campus, University of Southampton SO17 1BJ
Email contact: Tim Yates – HLTHub network Communications, Marketing and Events Manager tim.j.yates@ucl.ac.uk
Our Funders
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have invested over £42 million in seven transdisciplinary research hubs based at institutions across the UK.
