Social impacts of transport infrastructure in built up areas – Integrated Social Impacts Primary Research via ARUP (AWARD))

The research aims to develop of the assessment of integrated (and cumulative) social impacts for highway projects, with a specific focus on new and planned infrastructure projects in built-up areas. To achieve this the project aims to address: 1. The recognised need for new evidence gathering and a review of exiting methodologies for social assessments. 2. Improved understanding and articulation of thresholds, tipping points & non-linearities in human responses to different types of impacts 3. The need to articulate the social processes involved in changes in people’s activity behaviours and how this links with intended social outcomes 4. The use of combined qualitative and quantitative methods and metrics in integrated social assessments. The key objectives for the research are to: • Produce and report on an evidence base, using a combination of primary and secondary research to more fully explore the impacts of urban by-pass projects on the travel behaviours, choices and attitudes • Demonstrate the integrated social impacts and cumulative effects of transport schemes on social impacts, especially in the urban environment • Make recommendations as to appropriate appraisal guidance related to integrated impacts