Barriers and drivers for sustainable mobility in Cuenca, Ecuador, Reflections towards sustainable mobility transitions

Sammanfattning: Acknowledging, the research gap within sustainability transitions in analysing the local scale of transition processes, this work primarily, seeks to contribute to sustainability transitions studies by identifying the main factors that are enabling and hindering the materialization of low carbon mobility in Cuenca, Ecuador. The use of a case study as a research strategy and the nature of the research objective required a qualitative approach, that consisted in the collection of qualitative data through semi-structured interviews and document review. The data was analysed based on a theoretical framework built on insights from sustainability transitions literature, path dependence and path creation concepts, and insights from sustainable mobility literature. From the transitions studies field, a socio-institutional approach was applied in order to understand the institutional and political dynamics of the mobility system under study, and insights from sustainable mobility allowed to explore the spatial factors that are influencing the dynamics of the system as well. The main findings suggest that the mobility system in Cuenca, is dominated by private car transport in terms of resources and infrastructure allocated for it, while public transport is inefficient, whereas infrastructure for walking needs to be improved and cycling infrastructure is still incipient. Cultural factors that see the car as the ideal mode of transport and formal factors, such as the lack of policy strategies are hindering the institutionalization of low carbon mobility. However, important efforts are taken place towards sustainable mobility driven by visions and actions of diverse actors, who inter alia advocate from policy strategies. Furthermore, Cuenca as an intermediate city offers opportunities to better address urban challenges towards a more sustainable mobility system. The coevolutionary, multi-dimensional, multi-actor and multilevel nature of transition processes require that multiple developments take place and get aligned in order to enhance fundamental changes that sustainability demands. Understanding these dynamics in the local context is critical for city actors in order to take accurate decisions and actions, therefore this work additionally seeks to call for reflection among local policymakers.