Participation in Shared Mobility Co-design: A Case Study of an Automated Ferry in Fredrikstad

Paper in proceeding, 2026

As cities strive toward climate neutrality and digital transformation, shared and automated mobility solutions are emerging as key enablers of sustainable transport. Implementing such systems remains challenging, as public, private, and citizen interests must be aligned. This paper reflects on a co-design case in Fredrikstad, Norway, where citizens, city planners, service providers, ferry operators and project partners participated in a three-stage process exploring how a new automated ferry could be integrated into the city’s public transport ecosystem. The case shows that when used as a sustained and strategic process, co-design can support participatory planning and foster learning and a sense of ownership among participants. Ownership, however, was difficult to sustain when actors responsible for long-term planning and implementation were not involved early, revealing tensions between collective problem framing and institutional decisionmaking. The study highlights how participation in shared mobility co-design unfolds through shifting roles and competing logics, and identifies key lessons for cities seeking to pursue inclusive, bottom-up mobility transitions.