MfM-U: Impact of transit traffic and its landscape-related consequences on society

The aim of the MfM-U project is to investigate the implications of transit traffic on nature and society and to design a monitoring tool to detect changes related to an increasing or decreasing amount of transit traffic. The sociological/psychological part of the project investigates the influence of transit traffic and the related landscape changes ­e.g. due to motorways- on wellbeing and place attachment of inhabitants. To compare the impact of the transit traffic to the impact of traffic in general, the case studies include transit regions and other regions with high amounts of traffic.

The main research questions

• How do the residents of transit regions perceive the quality of life compared to those of other regions with a high amount of traffic?
• Do they tend to leave their home regions if they have the opportunity to do so or do they stay and get accustomed to the noise and landscape-related changes?
• Where do inhabitants of regions with a high amount of traffic spend their leisure time; do they try to escape their home regions (increased mobility) or do they stay within those regions?
  
  

The objectives of the project will be achieved through analysis of economic data, qualitative interviews, observations and a representative survey in transit and reference regions.

Publications

• Bauer, N.; Hauri, D.; Hunziker, M., 2008: Landschaftsbezogene Lebensqualität in Transit- und Referenzregionen. In: Buchecker, M; Frick, J; Tobias, S. (eds) Gesellschaftliche Ansprüche an den Lebens- und Erholungsraum. Eine praxisorientierte Synthese der Erkenntnisse aus zwei Forschungsprogrammen. Birmensdorf, Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL. 17-20.
• Hauri, D.; Bauer, N., 2006: Transalpine freight traffic's impact on peopl's quality of life. In: Brebbia, C.A.; Dolezel, V. (eds) Urban Transport XII. Urban Transport and the Environment in the 21st Century. Southampton, Boston, WITPress. 679-689.