Abby Robinson: Advocating for sustainable cities
Six months after moving to Melbourne to pursue her PhD with the Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change, Abby’s entire perspective on transport was transformed. Now living in a walkable suburb and using a bike as her main form of transport, Abby went from being someone who never critically thought about transport to someone who is passionate about sustainable mobility, joining pro-cycling protests and “ranting about the perils of a car-dependent society to anyone who would listen.” Sustainable mobility became so important to Abby that she changed her research topic to explore the pipeline that she had experienced: how people come to question automobility and advocate for sustainable cities.
The politics of transport and urban design
Abby argues that transport is inherently political.
“It is often presented as apolitical, but as space and resources are finite, often only one vision can be implemented,” she explains. “Different individuals and groups have competing visions for what they want their cities and transport systems to look like, often driven by underlying political values.”
She points out that the cultural values that underlie city and transport system design are rarely critically examined, with car-centric planning often seen as natural, inevitable and desirable.
Research focus: what makes people advocate for sustainable cities?
Abby’s research applies Social Identity Theory to transport, investigating how to disrupt the dominant paradigm upholding the status quo and exploring conditions that foster advocacy for sustainable cities.
This theory suggests that people will be most likely to support change when they perceive the status quo as unfair, unjust, changeable, and they can envision a viable alternative. Identifying with an activist group and having a group that one can advocate with are also important ingredients. Abby’s studies have examined these processes through interviews with cyclists, and novel survey scales measuring status quo legitimacy and sustainable cognitive alternatives. In a current study, she explores whether speculative fiction could induce desire for social change.
Throughout her PhD, Abby has employed both qualitative and quantitative methods, ensuring a nuanced and comprehensive approach to her research questions. Abby particularly enjoys working with qualitative data, sharing that she loves “reading about my participants’ views, experiences, and their thoughts” on her topics.
“The qualitative data adds nuance to the data and forces me to question my preconceived biases and pet theories.”
The joys and challenges of academic research
Abby relishes the novelty of her work, emphasising how much she values the opportunities to continue learning and make connections.
“There is always something new to read, an exciting project that colleagues are working on, a talk to attend, a fresh stage of the research project and new PhD students or staff to meet,” Abby enthuses.
She also acknowledges the privilege of working on meaningful projects, saying, “I’m aware that not everyone has this luxury.”
Advocating for community-minded research
Abby’s drive for social justice extends beyond her research subject. She believes strongly in giving back to research participants and communities.
“When I was recruiting for my second survey study, one organisation I contacted was hesitant to circulate my study ad amongst their members,” she recalls. “They were sick of researchers using them and giving nothing in return to the community.”
Passionate about making academia more accessible and community-oriented, Abby argues that:
Research is slow and academia doesn’t always incentivise research impact, but making an effort to have your research accessible to the community or advocating on their behalf is an important step of the research process.
Despite facing challenges in her PhD journey, Abby remains motivated.
“I remind myself every week that I need to (and want to) give back to the people who so generously shared their experiences and hopes with me.”