Public Participation in Transport Planning: Lessons from a Co-creation Workshop with Elderly Women in Lund

Methodology

Training

Intervention

Tool

Data

Study

Use case

Ida Grundel, Karin Eliasson, Tina-Simone Neset, Helena Runesson and Vangelis Angelakis, Linköping University

Overview

This study explores how public participation and co-creation can support more inclusive urban transport planning. It is based on a co-creation workshop in Lund, Sweden, with women aged 65 and above, a group identified as vulnerable in relation to traffic safety and accessibility. The workshop combined exploratory walks with a World Café activity to understand how participants experienced public space, mobility and transport-related challenges around a central square and adjacent street. For readers, the article shows how participatory methods can reveal lived experiences that are often missed in expert-led planning. It also offers practical lessons for cities aiming to design safer, more accessible and more liveable transport environments.

Photos from the exploratory walk connected to a map and used as discussion material during the World Café activity in Lund. Source: Grundel et al., 2026, Case Studies on Transport Policy. — Photos from the exploratory walk connected to a map and used as discussion material during the World Café activity in Lund. Source: Grundel et al., 2026, *Case Studies on Transport Policy*.

Research highlights

The article highlights the role of co-creation in transport planning and shows how exploratory walks and participatory workshops can support meaningful participation. It also points to the growing importance of ageing populations in future transport planning and shows how public space design can influence people’s choice of transport modes. Green areas and small public-space improvements are discussed as part of creating more liveable, walkable and less car-dependent cities.

The case study focused on Lund, Sweden, where the workshop was conducted in spring 2025 as part of ELABORATOR. The activity involved 16 women aged 65 and over and was co-organised with the municipality. Participants walked through Mårtenstorget and Östra Mårtensgatan, discussing safety, traffic conditions, accessibility, obstacles, green infrastructure and mobility. They then continued the discussion indoors using a World Café format structured around public space design, traffic safety and pocket parks.

The findings show that the co-creation activity generated knowledge not only about transport, but also about public space design, green structures, safety, well-being and place identity. Although the workshop focused on elderly women, participants also raised concerns relevant to other vulnerable groups, showing the connection between transport, accessibility and urban liveability.

Practical relevance

The article is especially useful for city officers, planners and Living Lab teams designing participatory transport activities. It shows that exploratory walks can help participants point out specific barriers and situations in the actual urban environment, while the World Café format can help turn those observations into structured discussion. The Lund case also shows practical city-level value: the municipality established a pocket park with more greenery and resting opportunities on the square, and worked on clarifying parking and market-space issues following the co-creation process.

At the same time, the article is careful about the limitations of the case. The workshop involved a small group of already engaged participants without physical disabilities, so it does not represent the full diversity of older women or the wider elderly population. This makes it a useful methodological example, but not a complete representation of all mobility needs in Lund.

Mårtenstorget and Östra Mårtensgatan map, showcasing the study area in Lund and providing geographical context.

Publication details

Published in Case Studies on Transport Policy, Volume 26, December 2026, article number 101929. The article is open access and published under a Creative Commons licence by Elsevier on behalf of the World Conference on Transport Research Society.