Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the driver’s experience of the road and its surroundings. “The view from the road” takes place every day and a high-quality ”road experience” is therefore a question of importance. Since cars made their breakthrough in the 1920-30, the approach to “the driver experience” has varied notably. At that time, roads were constructed systematically throughout the landscape, without inclusion of adequate knowledge on “the driver experience”. Today there is an increased understanding on how a good road construction plan can give positive consequences, not only for the driver but in a larger perspective as well.

The first part of the thesis is an introduction to the problem area, where the development of “the driver experience” during the twentieth century is described. Year 1996, three landscape architects came to problematize the road planning nowadays and further highlight the importance of “the road experience” in the book Trafikantupplevelse på väg. As a measure, they prepared criterions how to optimize “the driver experience”.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate “the driver experience” of the road and its surroundings and try to understand how to improve future planning scenarios by increased consideration of “the driver experience”.
What makes the driver think a road is positive or negative is a question that has been asked.

Interviews and a literary study has been the basis for the both information gathering but also for the discussions about how to improve “the road experience”.

The conclusions of this thesis are,

•The Swedish Road Administration needs to specify their intentions regarding “the driver experience” by including it in their policy for road architecture.

•The Swedish Road Administration needs to increase its possibilities to take up a wider range of land, outside the road area.

•The interaction of the impressions of “the driver experience” needs to be improved by an increased knowledge of the overall picture. In the pursued of reaching this goal, the criterions of this investigation can be an aid.

•Landscape architects and architects shall contribute with their knowledge in an early stage in the road process.