Anika Koskela
I am completing a Master of Science in Sustainable Urban Mobility Transitions at Aalto University. Prior to starting my master's, I was a Policy Analyst for the Government of Canada. It was my bike commute to work that inspired me to volunteer with my local bike advocacy organization and engage in municipal consultations to improve the cycling infrastructure in my city. I decided to pursue a formal education in transportation planning to better understand urban systems and develop skills to be a more effective cycling advocate. Through my master's thesis research, I am analyzing the effectiveness of cycling study visits in preparing participants to translate their learning into local action using an organizational learning lense. I am interested understanding how participants learn and apply their knowledge to develop more efficient knowledge sharing practices.
Přednáška
Study visits are often cited as mechanisms to facilitate policy transfer to improve cycling conditions. The barriers to policy transfer are well documented in the literature, and there is agreement that solutions cannot be copied and pasted. Recognizing these limitations, this research investigates if and how study visits prepare participants to translate their learning into local action using Oulu Master Classes on winter cycling in Northern Finland over the past three years as a case study. This research argues that study visits initiate double loop learning processes that encourage participants to critically reflect on their local contexts. Semi-structured interviews with master class organizers stress that Oulu’s best practices cannot be directly replicated elsewhere. Throughout the master class, organizers encourage participants to reflect on their own political and social context to adapt Oulu’s experience elsewhere. Semi-structured interviews with class participants are used to analyze the extent to which master classes are effective in initiating double loop learning and whether it has resulted in local action. Organizational learning literature argues that double loop learning is essential for capacity building. Therefore, understanding whether study visits are an effective intervention to initiate this learning process is fundamental in building strategic capacity to enable transitions that increase cycling mode share.