Authors: Amanda Worsøe Andersen & Nina Roitmann
In this blog, we discuss the differences between the typically identified issues of cargo bike delivery and the issues we identify. We assess the issues from a systems transition point of view and discuss what design strategies can help with the transition towards an alternative delivery system, with a focus on the Inner City of Copenhagen. Finally, we argue for how the issues we identify are more crucial to solving if we want to create a fully sustainable world.
Typical identification of issues
Today, the issue of implementing cargo bikes for deliveries is assessed as an issue of time and money. This is caused by the current regime only valuing profitable businesses, as this is something you can measure, instead of valuing sustainability which is much more difficult to measure.
Many academic articles have explored cargo bikes for deliveries by conducting multiple experiments around the world. Often these articles focus on how to make cargo bikes deliveries profitable enough to combat dominant players in the current regime. In general, a lot of projects consider the physical range of cargo bikes to be a disadvantage. As they cannot drive as fast as trucks, they cannot cover great distances in a favourable time. It has been calculated that the bikes are most profitable within a range of 5 km, with multiple stops (Sheth et. al., 2019). However, they do indeed result in time savings when multiple parcels must be delivered in city centres, as the bikes are easily manoeuvrable and can be parked easily, as opposed to a truck that often can be stuck in congested areas within the city (Sheth et. al., 2019). Furthermore, there is the issue of loading capacity. A cargo bike can only carry 1/5 to 1/4 of what a diesel truck can carry (Mortensen, 2019), for which reason some goods cannot be transported by bike.
Overall, this investigation in the cargo bike deliveries being only an add-on to the existing, unsustainable regime instead of being the absolute solution to the current sustainability problem in urban areas. The current experiments often end up only focusing on how the cargo bikes can deliver the same service and value as the current system, constrained by the infrastructural frames and monetary values of the current unsustainable regime. It thereby becomes projects of making a business case for cargo bike deliveries.
Perceived issues from our viewpoint
In contrast to the current problematizations of cargo bikes for delivery, we wish to perceive the issue from a sustainability viewpoint. A new sustainable delivery system based on cargo bikes has the potential to resolve multiple sustainability issues within the Inner City such as air pollution, safety for pedestrians and other bicyclists, noise, minimal space for nature, and a stressful environment (see figure 1).
Figure 1: Comparisons of perspective on what needs to occur for cargo bikes to be feasible for deliveries.
When investigating the problematizations from a sustainable transitions’ perspective, it becomes apparent that the current experiments are not geared towards a complete paradigm shift, but instead position themselves inside the structures of the current regime. However, as discussed before, we believe that a complete paradigm shift is needed to reach sustainability. To do this, it is necessary to look at the paradigm from a systemic point of view and investigate how to convince the central actors (human and non-human) of engaging in the change. Furthermore, new actors (human and non-human) will need to be involved to realise a transition into a new, sustainable delivery system for the Inner City of Copenhagen.
A concrete issue that arises when looking at cargo bike delivery from a transition perspective is how the cargo bikes will interfere with other users of the bicycle lanes. Since the cargo bikes tend to be a bit larger, they will require a lot of space on the bicycle lanes. In Central Copenhagen, it is already an issue that there are too many bicyclists for the rather narrow bicycling lanes – especially at peak time (“Politiske gadekampe i København har skabt en stærk cykelkultur – Københavns Universitet,” 2019). Thereby, implementing the cargo bikes in Copenhagen from one day to another might result in dangerous situations. Furthermore, another problem that arises is how the businesses will accept the change. For some businesses, this might not be a favourable solution, as they do not believe that cargo bikes can cover their needs (Lenz & Riehle, 2013). This will easily shut down the opportunity of implementing the cargo bikes for deliveries, as the business is central in making this work. However, the businesses could potentially be the actor that mobilizes the change into the new socio-technical system of cargo bikes for delivery – if we get them to believe in cargo bikes as the technology of the future.
Strategies to build up cargo bike trust
Ceschin (2014) describes how socio-technical experiments can help enable radical changes towards sustainability. A socio-technical experiment entails an experiment that can act as both labs, windows and agents of change. Labs, as it is areas where the new socio-technical system can be tested out multiple times to find the right constellation. Windows, as it is not closed off from the world, but can be seen by people around the experiment. This will enable both interessement and inspiration of people. Agents of change, as in the process, actors are involved to promote and quicken the final transitioning process. They help with the negotiations of the system engaging relevant actors so they will be able to act as spokespersons for the new socio-technical system once it leaves the lab (Ceschin, 2014).
Let us imagine starting the implementation of the cargo bike delivery system with a socio-technical experiment. Furthermore, let us imagine investigating it in a Copenhagen context. A good lab for the experiment would be that of the Inner City. Already now a lot of experiments with the roads and squares of the inner city are taking place – so it is already used in some regards as a lab. The municipality is already engaged in reorganising the infrastructure of the inner city and it would therefore be manageable to inspire the municipality to let us run the experiment there. Additionally, the inner city is about to be closed for traffic with trucks and heavy vehicles (We Do Democracy, 2019). Therefore, the shops will need to find another solution for their deliveries. Since it will be in the inner city where a lot of people will be present, it could work as a window, hopefully inspiring other shops to do the same. As there is already a great interest for the municipality to do a change in the traffic of the inner city, and there is already an incentive for the shops to engage in the change, these actors can hopefully act as agents of change. This could help the socio-technical experiment start the transition to a new delivery system from the bottom up.
The socio-technical experiment will help along with another design strategy – that of a new practice. Practices are the main reason why we act as we do. According to Shove & Pantzar (2005) practices are constituted by three elements: Competencies, Materials and Meanings (Shove & Pantzar, 2005). For this reason, it is not enough to ease the availability of cargo bikes (the material) for businesses: Businesses need to have the competencies to use them as well. These competencies can be built up by letting the businesses try out the new delivery alternative with the socio-technical experiment. Furthermore, the agenda of the necessity of sustainable development need to be ingrained into the businesses, so the meaning behind the new practice can be established. Nonetheless, we do believe that this meaning is already to some degree present in the businesses, as it is a great selling point. Hence, the issue is for them to build up the competencies that could support the new practice needed for the cargo bikes deliveries to be implemented. If the new practice is present, the likelihood for the complete transition to happen will be higher.
Bringing sustainability centre stage
To achieve the sustainable transition from the current, existing paradigm and into a new one, it is necessary to change the unit of design. To ensure that an alternative system will bring sustainable development, it should have sustainability as a core. The only way to achieve this is with a full transition.
The diagram below shows the sustainability potential at different innovation levels. The further up the right-hand side of the diagram, the greater the possibility of innovation leading to lasting sustainable change. We have placed a product-development approach to cargo bike delivery (red), the current way to investigate cargo bike delivery (yellow) and our way to investigate cargo bike delivery (green). In the following, it is briefly explained what kind of change that will happen at these innovation levels.
Figure 2: Adapted from (Ceschin & Gaziulusoy, 2019, p. 144) showing where the different focus points are in terms of their potential for sustainability.
We argue that it is not enough to solely investigate the cargo bike itself (red circle on figure 2), and how the design of the cargo can become more efficient and sustainable on a material/product level. Sustainability would in that case just be an external criterion, resolved in making a product that is user friendly, has environmentally friendly materials and fits within the current infrastructure. It would not make the complete system transformation that is needed to reach a sustainable future.
Cargo bikes are currently problematized by how businesses can profit from a service that delivers goods by a more sustainable means of transportation (yellow circle on figure 2). Resultingly, cargo bike delivery becomes an add-on and service that is constrained by the frames of the existing regime. Within the current problematisation, the delivery system does become more sustainable as it reduces the consumption habits of people receiving deliveries. However, it does not provide elimination of the environmental impact nor provide many other sustainability benefits.
We imagine that the most beneficial change will happen at a socio-technical level with cargo bikes as a central actor in an alternative system (green circle on figure 2). This is created by looking at the entire network surrounding the bikes. We design a transition where the local community is an active participant to ensure a lasting alternative socio-technical system that could be strong enough to become the dominant regime. We focus on creating positive outputs of the system like improved health, road safety, and more space for people to live, instead of the current focus on creating spaces where people can transport themselves efficiently. These attributes are the values that a delivery system of cargo bikes can offer. Furthermore, we research how to provide the needs of deliveries sustainably, rather than investigate the opportunity to create a profitable business with sustainability as a selling point. We achieve the transition by allowing the actors to define their place in the new system, as they can only support the new system if they are satisfied with their roles in it. This can be achieved by letting them participate in the socio-technical experiment, so they can develop the competencies needed for navigating the new freight by cargo bike system.
Conclusion
There are great differences between the current investigation of cargo bike delivery and how we investigate it from a transitions-perspective. However, it is our belief that the only way to create a sustainable society is by reimagining the status quo. We believe that a socio-technical experiment can help the transition on its way in the Inner City of Copenhagen, by helping business engage in a new delivery system centred around cargo bikes. If the businesses get mobilised through the socio-technical experiment, they will already have the competencies to develop the new practice that is necessary for the transition. The transition to a new socio-technical system with cargo bikes for deliveries will reduce emissions and congestion, improve the living and working conditions within the Inner City of Copenhagen for everyone.
Literature
Ceschin, F. (2014). How the design of socio-technical experiments can enable radical changes for sustainability. International Journal of Design, 8(3), 1–21.
Ceschin, F., & Gaziulusoy, Í. (2019). Design for Sustainability: A Multi-level Framework from Products to Socio-technical Systems. In Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1201/b19041-19
Lenz, B., & Riehle, E. (2013). Bikes for urban freight? Transportation Research Record, (2379), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.3141/2379-05
Mortensen, J. (2019). Varetransport med ladcykler.
Politiske gadekampe i København har skabt en stærk cykelkultur – Københavns Universitet. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2021, from https://ign.ku.dk/nyheder/2019/politiske-gadekampe-i-koebenhavn-har-skabt-en-staerk-cykelkultur/
Sheth, M., Butrina, P., Goodchild, A., & McCormack, E. (2019). Measuring delivery route cost trade-offs between electric-assist cargo bicycles and delivery trucks in dense urban areas. European Transport Research Review, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12544-019-0349-5
Shove, E., & Pantzar, M. (2005). Consumers, Producers and Practices: Understanding the invention and reinvention of Nordic walking. Journal of Consumer Culture, 5(1), 43–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469540505049846
We Do Democracy. (2019). Borgersamlingens anbefalinger.
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