Kiersten Muenchinger, professor of Product Design, recently received funding from VINNOVA, a Swedish non-profit, to participate to an international research partnership examining regional accessibility and networks for sustainable intelligent transportation in Eugene, Oregon and Linköping, Sweden. This study seeks to address the challenge of integrating eco-friendly transportation options in suburban areas with those in city centers.

While there is growing awareness of the environmental impacts of carbon emissions related to the transport sector, implementation and use of sustainable alternative transportation infrastructure continues to lag. This study plans to identify and characterize the psychological, societal, and infrastructural factors that can impede the adoption of sustainable transportation practices particularly in suburban areas.

Muenchinger brings unique knowledge in mechanical engineering as well as product and environmental design methods to help inform and advance understanding of the factors driving the adoption of sustainable mobility options, along with an evaluation and gap analysis of current transit systems from a universal design (the design of public spaces that is accessible to all people regardless of ability) viewpoint.

The team will develop and disseminate teaching materials and policy briefs to influence a broad public in the US and Sweden. Beyond securing funds to enable research that can inform and advance sustainable transit options here in Eugene (and abroad), this project seeds a new research collaboration between the UO, Linköping University, and the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, enabling UO researchers to affect change not only locally but internationally.