Abstract
This thesis researches the interaction between pedestrians and e-scooters in Bakklandet, a neighborhood of Trondheim, Norway. Bakklandet’s main street has a low level of car usage; the half north of the neighborhood’s main intersection functions as a ‘living street’ where non-pedestrians are to behave as guests, while the intersection and the half of the street south of it function as shared space, where non-motorized modes of transport are allowed to use the street as equals. According to previous research, interactions between bicycles and pedestrians in this street have led to numerous conflicts (Olsen, 2022). This thesis seeks to investigate the nature of interactions between e-scooters and pedestrians. Specifically, it seeks to understand the interactions and conflicts from the pedestrian’s perspective. E-scooter sharing is a relatively new phenomenon; it was first implemented in Norway in 2019. Prior Norwegian research on e-scooters has largely focused on environmental sustainability. This thesis instead seeks to understand the sustainability of e-scooters from a social perspective. It seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) How do conflicts between pedestrians and e-scooters occur, and what is the nature of these conflicts? (2) How does the physical design of the street affect the interaction between pedestrians and e-scooters? (3) What does the pedestrian experience of e-scooters mean for planning theory and practice? This is done using the theoretical perspectives of Institutionalization and Legitimation (Berger and Luckmann, 1966), Right to the City (Lefebvre, 1968 in Schmid, 2012), and Social Sustainability (Manzi, et al., 2010). The research found that conflicts between e-scooters and pedestrians are common in Bakklandet, though less common than conflicts between bicycles and pedestrians in this location. The design and rules of the two sections of the street affect the level of observed conflict. The part of the street that the pedestrian chooses to use also affects the frequency and nature of conflict. Based on the research, it is recommended that speed control measures and uniformly designed pavements be implemented in spaces where pedestrians are intended to have priority.