In mid-April, Sven Borén presented and published his licentiate thesis that primarily elaborated on a methodological support for sustainable community planning and transport. It comprises an iterative multi-stakeholder planning process model embedding the FSSD, and includes four independent planning perspectives (further described in paper 1). Because of the embedment of the FSSD, the methodological support is capable of guiding planning for transport system development and other community development from a strategic sustainability perspective. The initial testing through a real case indicates that the support works as intended.
By applying the iterative process model elaborated in paper 1, a sustainable vision and an initial development plan were developed for transport in southeast Sweden, with a focus on EVs for personal road transport. The initial plan leads successively towards such a vision, which includes; sustainably managed and sourced energy and materials; optimized use of areas; a small share of hybrids and bio-fuelled vehicles that complement the otherwise electrified vehicle fleet; governance for effective cross-sector collaboration (further described in paper 2). The broad array of involved stakeholders in southeast Sweden has generally acknowledged the vision and initial development plan as being relevant and anchored in the region.
Major sustainability effects of EV-based personal road transport systems were found (mainly related to the use of fossil fuels and scarce materials). Barriers (mainly related to high prices of EVs and to the use of scarce metals in batteries) and enablers (mainly related to expansion of electricity production based on renewable energy, expansion of charging infrastructures, and extensive recycling of materials) for development of EV-based personal road transport systems were also found. These findings are further described mainly in paper 3-5.