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Bicycle Justice and Urban Transformation: Biking for all?
As bicycle commuting grows in the United States, the profile of the white, middle-class cyclist has emerged. This stereotype evolves just as investments in cycling play an increasingly important role in neighborhood transformations. However, despite stereotypes, the cycling public is actually quite diverse, with the greatest share falling into the lowest income categories.
Bicycle Justice and Urban Transformation demonstrates that for those with privilege, bicycling can be liberatory, a lifestyle choice, whereas for those surviving at the margins, cycling is not a choice, but an often oppressive necessity. Ignoring these "invisible" cyclists skews bicycle improvements towards those with choices. This book argues that it is vital to contextualize bicycling within a broader social justice framework if investments are to serve all street users equitably. "Bicycle justice" is an inclusionary social movement based on furthering material equity and the recognition that qualitative differences matter.
This book illustrates equitable bicycle advocacy, policy and planning. In synthesizing the projects of critical cultural studies, transportation justice and planning, the book reveals the relevance of social justice to public and community-driven investments in cycling. This book will interest professionals, advocates, academics and students in the fields of transportation planning, urban planning, community development, urban geography, sociology and policy.
Bicycle Justice and Urban Transformation demonstrates that for those with privilege, bicycling can be liberatory, a lifestyle choice, whereas for those surviving at the margins, cycling is not a choice, but an often oppressive necessity. Ignoring these "invisible" cyclists skews bicycle improvements towards those with choices. This book argues that it is vital to contextualize bicycling within a broader social justice framework if investments are to serve all street users equitably. "Bicycle justice" is an inclusionary social movement based on furthering material equity and the recognition that qualitative differences matter.
This book illustrates equitable bicycle advocacy, policy and planning. In synthesizing the projects of critical cultural studies, transportation justice and planning, the book reveals the relevance of social justice to public and community-driven investments in cycling. This book will interest professionals, advocates, academics and students in the fields of transportation planning, urban planning, community development, urban geography, sociology and policy.
- GenresUrban PlanningNonfiction
294 pages, Paperback
First published July 7, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 21, 2019
I'm not sure why I read this, except that I had a question I thought the book could answer. This volume was so expensive that I ordered a copy via interlibrary loan, and then felt compelled to finish it.
I first heard about this book in reference to the perception some have that urban bike lanes are a first step towards gentrification. This seemed like a weird idea to me: in a neighborhood where expensive transportation (private car ownership) is the norm, cheap transportation (bikes and walking) is somehow a sign of gentrification? I wanted some help grasping the logic.
After reading the book, I think I get it. You have a traditional neighborhood, often non-white or immigrant based, with cheap rents. This neighborhood is ignored by local government. But soon those cheap rents attract young people raised middle class (for example, college grads working for nonprofits after graduation, or who simply need a cheap place while they pay back college loans). These young people give the neighborhood a hipster vibe that attracts more well-off, "creative class" types. Bicycle recreation (triathlon training, for example) and/or bike commuting are attractive to those people. One of the first evidences of this is a bike lane or off-road bike route. Soon neighborhood rents and cost-of-living expenses escalate in response to these new residents, and in short time the traditional residents can't afford to live there anymore.
This isn't just a hypothetical thing. The books gives examples of how this went down in neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon and Chicago, and how residents and others responded to the problem.
So the book answered my question, but there's a lot more. The chapters are an assortment of things, various papers written by different people and groups, all connected with the theme of social justice in the bicycling community. My favorites were the ones that talked about grass-roots events, like the Roble Rueda rides in Matamoros, Mexico.
I was not so crazy about ones that sounded like somebody's master's thesis in sociology. A sample quote: "However, by shifting civic engagement from a synchronous experience of advocacy via discourse in public fora, to an asynchronous experience where advocacy occurs via collected data, we dramatically change the conditions of public participation and introduce new forms of argumentation into the milieu." I agree with the idea (I think?), it's just that this kind of writing strikes me as something meant to be read by a graduate adviser, not an ordinary reader.
I first heard about this book in reference to the perception some have that urban bike lanes are a first step towards gentrification. This seemed like a weird idea to me: in a neighborhood where expensive transportation (private car ownership) is the norm, cheap transportation (bikes and walking) is somehow a sign of gentrification? I wanted some help grasping the logic.
After reading the book, I think I get it. You have a traditional neighborhood, often non-white or immigrant based, with cheap rents. This neighborhood is ignored by local government. But soon those cheap rents attract young people raised middle class (for example, college grads working for nonprofits after graduation, or who simply need a cheap place while they pay back college loans). These young people give the neighborhood a hipster vibe that attracts more well-off, "creative class" types. Bicycle recreation (triathlon training, for example) and/or bike commuting are attractive to those people. One of the first evidences of this is a bike lane or off-road bike route. Soon neighborhood rents and cost-of-living expenses escalate in response to these new residents, and in short time the traditional residents can't afford to live there anymore.
This isn't just a hypothetical thing. The books gives examples of how this went down in neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon and Chicago, and how residents and others responded to the problem.
So the book answered my question, but there's a lot more. The chapters are an assortment of things, various papers written by different people and groups, all connected with the theme of social justice in the bicycling community. My favorites were the ones that talked about grass-roots events, like the Roble Rueda rides in Matamoros, Mexico.
I was not so crazy about ones that sounded like somebody's master's thesis in sociology. A sample quote: "However, by shifting civic engagement from a synchronous experience of advocacy via discourse in public fora, to an asynchronous experience where advocacy occurs via collected data, we dramatically change the conditions of public participation and introduce new forms of argumentation into the milieu." I agree with the idea (I think?), it's just that this kind of writing strikes me as something meant to be read by a graduate adviser, not an ordinary reader.
April 20, 2021
I decided to read this book as I gradually grew interested in transportation equity, specifically active transportation equity.
One of the main takeaways from this book, which I believe is a necessity for every transportation engineer/planner, is to understand the difference b/w those who choose to ride a bicycle and those who have no other alternative but to ride a bicycle. The book also talks a good deal about the importance of data collection in bike advocacy to ensure the "invisible cyclists" are sampled. Otherwise, you would only dedicate funding to seawalls where the rich bike for fun! By reading this book, you learn about the experience of undocumented immigrants cycling to work because public transportation sucks, and they can't drive (for several reasons)! And learn about the experience of food delivery cyclists on streets designed exclusively for cars, delivering food for entitled individuals who want their food as fast as possible; otherwise, the tip is gone!
Overall, I found reading this book eye-opening! I will definitely come back to the book for references in my future work.
One of the main takeaways from this book, which I believe is a necessity for every transportation engineer/planner, is to understand the difference b/w those who choose to ride a bicycle and those who have no other alternative but to ride a bicycle. The book also talks a good deal about the importance of data collection in bike advocacy to ensure the "invisible cyclists" are sampled. Otherwise, you would only dedicate funding to seawalls where the rich bike for fun! By reading this book, you learn about the experience of undocumented immigrants cycling to work because public transportation sucks, and they can't drive (for several reasons)! And learn about the experience of food delivery cyclists on streets designed exclusively for cars, delivering food for entitled individuals who want their food as fast as possible; otherwise, the tip is gone!
Overall, I found reading this book eye-opening! I will definitely come back to the book for references in my future work.
January 1, 2020
Se trata de un libro que recopila 18 textos académicos referentes al ciclismo urbano desde el enfoque de la justicia social. Estos textos están centrados principalmente al caso de EUA, aunque contienen experiencias de Matamoros (México), Bruselas (Bélgica) y Ciudad del Cabo (Sudáfrica). La introducción del libro es claramente el texto que permite unir todas las perspectivas y ordenar los textos. Una de esas que vale la pena incuso incluir como un texto en sí mismo.
Lo más relevante de estos textos es el enfoque de análisis, que busca posicionarse y distanciarse del discurso de promoción de la bicicleta del activismo. Por el contrario, se pregunta cómo lograr que la bicicleta sea equitativa y genere justicia social, en diferentes contextos sociales. Esto ante las críticas reales de que el discurso de promoción del ciclismo ha sido utilizado por grupos de personas blancas, privilegiadas y a veces en consonancia con intereses inmobiliarios. Por lo que existe una gran masa de ciclistas invisibles (por razones de clasicismo, racismo, etc.) que suele ser marginada y no tomada en cuenta en las políticas de infraestructura ciclista - y muchas veces tampoco en los discursos del activismo.
El lenguaje varía de autor en autor, desde el enfoque más teórico, académico hasta lenguajes más accesibles al público en general. Los enfoques en su mayoría son sociológicos y etnográfico. Muy recomendable para quienes deseen analizar el ciclismo urbano a profundidad en cuanto a sus implicaciones sociales y de de justicia social.
Lo más relevante de estos textos es el enfoque de análisis, que busca posicionarse y distanciarse del discurso de promoción de la bicicleta del activismo. Por el contrario, se pregunta cómo lograr que la bicicleta sea equitativa y genere justicia social, en diferentes contextos sociales. Esto ante las críticas reales de que el discurso de promoción del ciclismo ha sido utilizado por grupos de personas blancas, privilegiadas y a veces en consonancia con intereses inmobiliarios. Por lo que existe una gran masa de ciclistas invisibles (por razones de clasicismo, racismo, etc.) que suele ser marginada y no tomada en cuenta en las políticas de infraestructura ciclista - y muchas veces tampoco en los discursos del activismo.
El lenguaje varía de autor en autor, desde el enfoque más teórico, académico hasta lenguajes más accesibles al público en general. Los enfoques en su mayoría son sociológicos y etnográfico. Muy recomendable para quienes deseen analizar el ciclismo urbano a profundidad en cuanto a sus implicaciones sociales y de de justicia social.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews