Acceptability of cycling: London and Mexico City

The acceptability of cycling – both personal and social – seems to be on the rise in major cities around the world. How does this acceptability increase and why should we care?

Mexico City and London are two world cities that have both seen an increase in cycling and expanded their cycling policies/interventions over recent years – ranging from an increase in cycling infrastructure, to campaigns to increase cycling and setting up cycle hire systems. Civil society has pushed for many of these changes, but is far from satisfied. While these cities show stark differences in many respects, when it comes to cycling some very similar issues arise. In both cities a visitor might cry out ‘how on earth could anyone cycle here?!’ Yet cycling has increased and the acceptance of measures promoting cycling seems to be on the rise, even if conflicts have also become more apparent.
Kim Carlotta von Schönfeld is currently studying the acceptability of cycling, using London and Mexico City as her cases. On the 14th of January she will be presenting the first results of her ongoing research comparing the acceptability of cycling in these two cities, and her preliminary conclusions.

Further details and to book here

About Cycling@Lunchtime

There's a lot going on in the world of cycling. This makes it an exciting time to be involved, but how do you keep up? Designer or architect, urban or transport planner, highway engineer or academic, or simply concerned with cycling policy, strategy or resources, you are welcome at our monthly lunchtime session in central London. We aim to cover current practice in getting more people cycling, more often, including new infrastructure design, innovations in promoting cycling, and fresh research.

Each session will start at 12:45 prompt and last one hour, but the room will usually be available 1200 - 14:00, so there is informal time together. The presentation will last 30 minutes or less, so you can discuss and debate the issues. This will be free of charge.

We will operate under the 'Chatham House Rule', to provide an opportunity for difficult or emerging issues to be explored candidly and views to be aired freely.

Cycling@Lunchtime is a collaboration between CILT, CIHT, ICE and IHE, and is sponsored by UCL Transport Institute