ApproachThe main objective of LIFE CYCLE is displaying high ambitions and high expectations to the project’s work. The approach used to fulfil both takes up problems and potentials from the fields of public health and mobility and creates a simple and efficient mean to foster physical activity: it is reintegrated into daily transport routines by changing people’s mobility behaviour and their perception in favour of cycling. People do not even have to spend additional time for it. The key element is to include 30 min of moderate physical activity in people’s daily life.
The two key words for LIFE CYCLE are ‘perception’ and ‘motivation’.
Perception
To change the mobility behaviour of people, the mainly subjective perception of the different modes of transport needs to be put on an objective level. Usually the car is estimated much higher than its performance including economic, health and ecologic factors really is. Several reasons such as large scale advertisement of the car industry and trained perception beginning during childhood from the backseat of a car are the reasons for it. The opposite applies to cycling. To point people at the real performance it needs the creation of a positive image for cycling as early as possible as well as its maintenance during life.
Motivation
Changed perception on its own might not be enough to realise a behaviour change. This needs practical experience. Motivating users to test cycling is therefore elementary. LIFE CYCLE is based on a motivational approach providing people in their respective life phase with tailored actions to start or keep cycling.
Interdisciplinary work
LIFE CYCLE links health & transport creating an integrative approach with benefits for both fields. It will increase the awareness of people for public health issues since the argumentation used for increased cycling is put on health benefits and negative impacts of physical inactivity. The project supports the goal to foster cycling to decrease the ecological and economical burden of car transportation as well. Stakeholders, potential followers and people themselves contacted during the project time contribute to increase the use of the produced knowledge in public health practise as well as in urban transport planning.
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