Nudging sustainable mobility: an empirical analysis based on the WeWard app

Abstract

Fostering active mobility is a double-dividend policy targeting both climate and health objectives. Soft policies including nudges and gamified approaches have been widely used to promote environmentally friendly behaviors, but few studies have been dedicated to those techniques in the transport sector so far. This article uses data from WeWard, an app aiming at motivating people to walk more, to fill this literature gap. The effect of the app was assessed using a difference-in-difference approach based on pedometer data. We subsequently carried out a survey to analyze modal shift. With 94 482 active users on the pedometer data analysis and 50 589 participants in the survey, this study is to the authors’ knowledge one of the most comprehensive efforts to better understand the impact of nudges on mobility habits. Results of the difference-in-difference estimation show a +20 % positive effect on daily walked distance thanks to WeWard. Our survey indicates that for every 100 km walked using WeWard, 7 km are substituted to personal car.