Evidence in Scottish Transport Decision Making
The ways that people access evidence are changing. Evidence is often complex and increasingly people rely on summaries of evidence generated using AI. However, machine learning is still better at summarising received wisdom than piloting innovative ways forward, which are increasingly needed in a fast changing world. Against this backdrop, at an STSG seminar in 2024 it was observed that the online content from the first 40 years of STSG publications was now far more accessible to decision makers, so it was becoming increasingly important to ensure that this catalogue of learning was refreshed with new evidence from leading practice, recognising the core role of STSG in providing insights into future possibilities.
On 25th November STSG hosted a working lunch from 12-3pm at Strathclyde University, James Weir Building, Montrose Street, Glasgow in Room 6.04. Professor Adrian Davies presented his overview of what he has learned from his 18 years of preparing his essential evidence series, first for Bristol City Council and since 2018 through the Essential Evidence 4 Scotland series. Adrian has spent over 30 years working on transport and health and is internationally recognised as an expert in the field. He was a founder member of the Transport and Health Study Group in 1988, has been a consultant to Dept Health, Dept Transport, World Health Organisation, and other public bodies.The Essential Evidence series aims to improve public policy making and practice by making robust academic evidence freely accessible to local government transport authorities, advocacy groups, and public health practitioners.
Download the presentation here. Listen to the audio recording of the presentation.