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Encouraging Sustainable Transport Choices in American Households: Results from an Empirically Grounded Agent-Based Model

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  • Davide Natalini

    (Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK)

  • Giangiacomo Bravo

    (Department of Social Studies, Linnaeus University, and Collegio Carlo Alberto, Universitetsplatsen 1, 35252 Växjö, Sweden)

Abstract

The transport sector needs to go through an extended process of decarbonisation to counter the threat of climate change. Unfortunately, the International Energy Agency forecasts an enormous growth in the number of cars and greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Two issues can thus be identified: (1) the need for a new methodology that could evaluate the policy performances ex-ante and (2) the need for more effective policies. To help address these issues, we developed an Agent-Based Model called Mobility USA aimed at: (1) testing whether this could be an effective approach in analysing ex-ante policy implementation in the transport sector; and (2) evaluating the effects of alternative policy scenarios on commuting behaviours in the USA. Particularly, we tested the effects of two sets of policies, namely market-based and preference-change ones. The model results suggest that this type of agent-based approach will provide a useful tool for testing policy interventions and their effectiveness.

Suggested Citation

  • Davide Natalini & Giangiacomo Bravo, 2013. "Encouraging Sustainable Transport Choices in American Households: Results from an Empirically Grounded Agent-Based Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2013:i:1:p:50-69:d:31558
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    Cited by:

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    2. Katarzyna Byrka & Arkadiusz Jedrzejewski & Katarzyna Sznajd-Weron & Rafal Weron, 2015. "Difficulty is critical: Psychological factors in modeling diffusion of green products and practices," HSC Research Reports HSC/15/10, Hugo Steinhaus Center, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology.
    3. Xuehong Bai & Huimin Yan & Lihu Pan & He Qing Huang, 2015. "Multi-Agent Modeling and Simulation of Farmland Use Change in a Farming–Pastoral Zone: A Case Study of Qianjingou Town in Inner Mongolia, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(11), pages 1-32, November.
    4. Mehdizadeh, Milad & Nordfjaern, Trond & Klöckner, Christian A., 2022. "A systematic review of the agent-based modelling/simulation paradigm in mobility transition," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    5. Scheller, Fabian & Johanning, Simon & Bruckner, Thomas, 2019. "A review of designing empirically grounded agent-based models of innovation diffusion: Development process, conceptual foundation and research agenda," Contributions of the Institute for Infrastructure and Resources Management 01/2019, University of Leipzig, Institute for Infrastructure and Resources Management.

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