Vlogman, Ingmar (2023) Cycling the Province: An inquiry into the social construction of the future. Master thesis.
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Ingmar Vlogman S2597691 Master Thesis SSP Final Version.pdf Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Many scholars have suggested we are in a crisis of imagination when it comes to thinking about alternative societies. In this thesis, I aim to contribute to a rekindling of the imagination by employing the concept of the imaginary in mobilities. Cycling is ‘booming’, but does not seem to be replacing car trips in the Netherlands, meaning there may be much to gain still in terms of the transition to more sustainable mobilities. The aim of the study is to investigate how cycling policy makers in Groningen see cycling futures, with particular attention to if and how ‘smart’ cycling technologies, or smart velomobilities, are a part of these futures. To accomplish this, a case study has been conducted using a qualitative research design that employs semi-structured interviews, a policy document analysis and a participatory research session. The results indicate that policy makers are trying to get people out of cars and onto bikes, but are not sure why this is not happening already. Other results indicate difficulty balancing between the city and the province in conceiving cycling policy. In terms of velomobility, there are three main uses of smart technology, as articulated by policy makers in the Groninger cycling imaginary: the e-bike, mobility hubs and data collection. While only the e-bike specifically pertains to cycling, its effects on policy have been transformative, making it a change agent in itself. Other findings can be summarised by multiple dichotomies: urban and rural, car and bike, innovation or tradition. The bike navigates through all these tensions and offers something on both sides of each contradiction, showcasing its versatility and agency as both an object and as a practice.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Degree programme: | Society, Sustainability and Planning (MSc Socio-spatial Planning) |
| Supervisor: | Bahrami, F. |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Feb 2023 10:02 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Feb 2023 10:02 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4122 |
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