An exploratory study of green mobility strategies in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK.

Summary

Belfast aspires to improve its residents’ quality of urban life, while becoming a more attractive city for businesses, and simultaneously being widely-known for its captivating amenities, heritage, and rich history.

According to the City’s 2023 Local Development Plan, Belfast is on a growth trajectory. However, Belfast has yet to fully resolve various urban issues typical of other cities in the UK of similar status, including rush hour traffic congestion, noise and barrier effects created by motorways, the demolition of some of the city’s built environment.

Belfast has been encouraging its residents to adopt more green mobility strategies, and especially the residents of newly built redevelopment housing complexes, to utilise the public transit system with affordable monthly passes, to cycle and walk the city’s increasingly connected bicycle infrastructure and improved sidewalks, respectively.

We welcome research proposals aimed at studying the city’s accessibility and mobility patterns, paying special attention to the City Council’s emphasis on green travel measures, as well as the Department for Infrastructure’s and Translink’s orientations to enhance and expand current transit services, foster transit-oriented development, and encourage single occupancy vehicle drivers to switch to greener modes of transport.

The anticipated research methods will comprise data collection and analysis, planning and policy reviews, interviews, focus groups and meeting observation with planning professionals, elected officials, business and community leaders, residents, workers, students, elderly and other vulnerable and mobility impaired individuals, and case study analyses.

Proposals that use digital technologies in data capture are welcomed, for example GPS (location data) and other sensors that measure comfort (noise; temperature).

The key expected findings will consist in the distillation of new results in the analyses of green mobility and travel incentives and patterns in Belfast’s urban transects and a discussion of implications for other cities and towns.

This is a collaborative research project with Infrastructure (DfI), Active Travel unit.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Research proposal of 2000 words detailing aims, objectives, milestones and methodology of the project

Equal Opportunities

The University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community, particularly from those with disabilities.

Appointment will be made on merit.

Funding and eligibility

This project is funded by:

• Department for the Economy (DfE)

This scholarship will cover tuition fees and provide a maintenance allowance of £21,000* (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).  A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of approximately £900 per annum is also available.

To be eligible for these scholarships, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Be a UK National, or

• Have settled status, or

• Have pre-settled status, or

• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter, or

• be an Irish National

Applicants should also meet the residency criteria which requires that they have lived in the EEA, Switzerland, the UK or Gibraltar for at least the three years preceding the start date of the research degree programme.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies.

*Part time PhD scholarships may be available, based on 0.5 of the full time rate, and will require a six year registration period