Awareness and large-scale behavioral changes

Mobility and air quality in the Grand Paris metropolis: The experiment aims to raise awareness among residents of the Paris region about air quality and to change their mobility practices.

Completed

  • Behaviour change
Photo of a bike path and a road

Information of the project

Dates: From January 01, 2020 to December 31, 2023

Number of partners: 3

Number of solutions tested: 1

Project description

The air quality in the Parisian metropolis is worrying. Exceedances of the regulatory values ​​set by the European Union have been observed in the central area of ​​the Paris conurbation and more generally near major traffic arteries. 

In this context, the Greater Paris Metropolis wishes to better understand mobility expectations and practices on its territory in order to encourage modal shift. 

As such, AIRLAB offered him an experiment entitled "Mobility and air quality in the Greater Paris Metropolis: awareness and behavioral changes on a large scale". 

This support aims to make users of internal combustion vehicles aware of the challenge of changing their habits towards more active and more restrained modes of travel in terms of emissions.

Three phases mark out the project.

Phase 1: Behavioral study

To establish a diagnosis of the brakes and levers linked to the change in mobility behavior, researchers Lucia Bosone and Frédéric Martinez of the Gustave Eiffel University were commissioned to identify the sociocognitive processes that contribute to the acceptability of traffic restrictions in thermal vehicles by testing the effects of a communication presenting a framing of psychological proximity.

Among the lessons learned from this study, the interest of mobilizing nudges focused on the activation of social norms to promote the adoption of active and soft mobility.

Phase 2: Design of behavior change incentive schemes

Based on the study, several co-design workshops bringing together the Ville de Paris , MGP and Airparif were led by the agencies 2RAventure and Jugeotte.
They brought out two proposals for a device:

- "It's time to save time"
This system is based on the valuation of the time saved in public transport compared to the time lost by car. It values ​​the notion of useful time and comfort. 

Concretely, it is a 21-day challenge (which corresponds to the time required for the change in the majority of applied studies) where users register via a registration page on the internet. Every day, they receive a challenge to achieve and notify its achievement by sending a photo.

- "Modoux"
This mechanism for encouraging the practice of active mobility is based on social comparison with an injunctive standard (approval or disapproval).

On the principle of the electricity bill which positions an individual according to the behavior of his neighbours, the MODOUX digital application indicates to the user his position in relation to the other users of the application with different indicators.

Concretely, it is an application on which the user provides information on his weekly travel habits. The tool suggests alternatives to achieve emissions savings and the user commits to an action plan, in stages, to move towards more sober mobility.

Phase 3: Experimentation and evaluation of the devices 

At this stage of the project, Airparif and the Métropole have agreed to initially focus on the development of MODOUX.
In the spring of 2023, it will thus be the subject of tests on a limited scope, within organizations of different types (Paris region communities and companies). 

Designed as a real awareness and information system on air quality to support behavior change in terms of mobility, it will be based on a digital platform equipped with a CO emissions calculator2 and air pollutants (NO2, MP10 and PM2,5) which will allow users to quantify the impact of their movements, individually and vis-à-vis the group to which they belong.

It will serve as a mid-term spur and the indicators thus delivered will constitute a source of emulation between the participants. Indeed, studies in social psychology show that comparison with the social norm is a powerful lever for behavior change.

The animation system will include, for its part, a first 3-hour workshop to unveil the air quality issues then 2 2-hour workshops whose purpose is to create a link between the participants and to encourage discussion. good practices so that each participant is motivated to commit to an action plan to change their mobility practices.

Eventually, and depending on the results of the evaluation, the systems tested may be deployed on a large scale. 


 

Carrier of the project

Name of the organization : Airparif

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