"We need to design with users, not just for them"

Congratulations on the award, Yuren! What is your research about, and what was recognised in the “Crossmodal Passenger” category?
"My research explores how co-design approaches can support shared mobility and sustainable mobility transitions in urban contexts. I bring together citizens, planners, operators, businesses, and other stakeholders to collaboratively explore needs, challenges, and possible solutions around shared mobility services. The goal is not only to design for users, but to design with users and other actors, creating shared understanding across actors who often work separately.

The work that was recognised is based on a case study in Fredrikstad, Norway, where we explored how a new electric automated ferry line could be integrated with cycling, walking, public transport, and other shared mobility services. Through co-design workshops, participants could imagine themselves as part of the mobility system rather than only users of isolated services.

What does it mean to you personally to receive a Young Researcher Award at TRA?
"I was quite surprised to receive the award, as my work takes a rather playful and reflective approach that is not always common in transport research. Coming from an architecture background and transitioning into transport research, this recognition is especially encouraging early in my career.

For PhD researchers, especially those entering a new field, it is easy to experience uncertainty or imposter syndrome. However, I have found it important to trust one’s own perspective and approach. The award gives me more confidence to continue researching in a way that feels meaningful to me.

Why do you think this area of research is particularly important right now?
"Cities are facing urgent sustainability challenges, including emissions and congestion driven by private car use, which require systemic transitions in how mobility is planned and delivered. Shared mobility is often proposed as part of this transition, but its implementation is complex, with limited understanding of adoption, governance, and integration across systems.

This complexity stems from the involvement of many stakeholders across disciplines and decision-making levels, as well as the need to align infrastructure, policy, operations, and user needs. In this context, collaborative and participatory approaches become essential.

My research uses co-design to bring actors together early in the process, helping connect policy, operations, and lived experience to support more grounded and implementable mobility solutions.

What are your main takeaways from the conference and the discussions there?
"A key theme across many sessions was the shift from focusing on individual technologies toward implementation, scalability, and system-level integration. There is growing recognition that sustainable mobility requires a holistic perspective that goes beyond vehicles, including financial, social, business, and political dimensions. Multi-modality also featured prominently, highlighting the importance of regional and local coordination, as well as better integration of physical and digital infrastructures.

Across discussions, I also noticed a recurring emphasis on collaboration, not only across transport modes, but across sectors and governance levels. Overall, the conference reinforced the importance of coordination and communication between actors, not just between technologies. Many of these directions strongly resonate with my own research, and I find it encouraging for its future relevance."

How did you experience Chalmers’ visibility and presence at TRA this year, particularly with two researchers receiving awards? *
"I felt proud to see strong representation from Chalmers at TRA, including award winners across different categories. As this was my first TRA conference, I was also surprised by how well known Chalmers is within the transport research community. Many of the people I met were already familiar with the university. For example, the first-prize winner in another category, who was sitting right next to me during the award ceremony, had previously worked at Chalmers!"

Fayas Malik Kanchirella at the Department of Energy and Environmental Sciences also received an award at TRA.