Exploring traffic evaporation : Findings from tactical urbanism interventions in Barcelona

Traffic evaporation - i.e. the opposite of induced traffic - is acknowledged as a well-established phenomenon which presents important implications for local urbanism and mobility policies, but there continue to be few academic studies which explore this issue in detail. This paper explores relative levels of traffic evaporation following the implementation of multiple tactical urbanism interventions on 11 streets in Barcelona in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the analysis of publicly available traffic count data, the findings provide empirical support for the existence of significant levels of traffic evaporation following road space reduction. On average, traffic levels on streets with interventions diminished by −14.8 % relative to streets in the rest of the city. In the wider vicinity of intervention streets, traffic levels also decreased slightly on average (−0.9 %) compared to the rest of the city, except on immediately adjacent parallel streets to those affected by interventions, which reported a small relative traffic increase (+0.7 %). Overall, these findings provide further support for street redesign policies which entail the reduction of road space for motor vehicles, and suggest that fears of traffic congestion following such schemes may often be unfounded. From a methodological standpoint, this study also offers a transparent method of evaluating traffic evaporation which could be replicated in future studies

Zuev, Dennis; Psarikidou, Katerina i Popan, Cosmic (eds.) (2021). Cycling Societies : Innovations, Inequalities and Governance

Obra ressenyada: Dennis ZUEV; Katerina PSARIKIDOU; Cosmic POPAN (eds.), Cycling Societies: Innovations, Inequalities and Governance. Abingdon: Routledge, 2021. ISBN 9780367336615

Who's afraid of pedestrianisation? Residents' perceptions and preferences on street transformation

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UABWhile urban pedestrianisation schemes typically attract vociferous opposition, it is often unclear whether these negative views are representative of the general population. For this reason, understanding how residents perceive the impacts of such schemes is critical to their evaluation. To this aim, this article assesses residents' perceptions and preferences regarding the pedestrianisation of multiple streets in the Eixample district of Barcelona in recent years, through a representative survey of the district's residents (n = 1211). Our research examines how residents' views on pedestrianisation vary depending on their mobility habits, sociodemographic background, and the level of traffic calming of the street they live on. Our results show that most respondents (66%) consider that the impacts of existing pedestrianisations have been positive regardless of whether they live on a pedestrianised street or not, even though residents of recently pedestrianised streets are more positive than those living on other streets. At the same time, many residents of pedestrianised streets consider that the benefits of reduced traffic externalities may be partially counterbalanced by new problems caused by an intensive use of public space (e.g. noise from people and cafes, touristification, nightlife). Our results also show that there is a strong relationship between support for pedestrianisation, age and mobility habits: daily car and motorbike users are much less supportive of pedestrianisation than public transport users and cyclists, while support for pedestrianisation decreases markedly with advancing age

"Winner" versus "loser" streets? Pedestrianisation and intra-neighbourhood equity

This study provides a qualitative exploration of the spatial equity implications of Barcelona's superblocks strategy, focusing on the newly pedestrianised "green axes" implemented in 2023. By examining the extent to which pedestrianisation may contribute to the creation of "winner" and "loser" streets in the same neighbourhood, the study complements previous literature in this area, which has mainly focused on assessing spatial equity between different neighbourhoods. The study is based on 11 qualitative interviews and a focus group with key stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of the superblocks plan. In the findings, I review the main spatial equity implications of the new green axes, identify trade-offs between equity and viability of implementation, and examine the measures taken by the municipality to minimise inequities between streets. My findings show that the spatial equity implications of pedestrianisation are complex and multidimensional. Although pedestrianisation may strengthen inequities between streets, the gains experienced by pedestrianised streets are not limited to residents living on those streets. However, pedestrianised streets risk becoming a victim of their success, experiencing significant public space and gentrification pressures. Transforming more streets simultaneously might contribute to spread these pressures more evenly, but risks creating greater political and social backlash

"They are deconstructing the city" : a typology of media narratives on tactical urbanism

The present article examines the role of the media in (re)producing positive and negative discourses on tactical urbanism, through a case study of recent tactical urbanism measures in Barcelona. To this end, the article analyses 106 news items on tactical urbanism, published in two newspapers with contrasting ideological viewpoints. Through an inductive coding process, I map arguments put forward in favour of or against tactical interventions, and identify five main narrative frames on tactical urbanism (three negative and two positive): 1) "Disorder and decadence;" 2) "The war on cars;" 3) "Strangling the city;" 4) "The new hygienism;" and 5) "Reclaiming the street." Negative frames criticise tactical urbanism primarily on aesthetic and procedural grounds, while positive frames tend to justify it through appeals to public health. In the Discussion, I suggest that emphasising the experimental nature of tactical urbanism might contribute to mitigate the polarisation of media frames on the topic

Cycling environments article database.xlsx

Database of articles reviewed for systematic literature review on urban cycling environments, classified across various categories. Results from Scopus search engine using following search query:<div><div><br><div><p>TITLE ( *cycl* OR bik* ) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY ( cycling OR bicycle OR bike AND ((built OR natural OR physical OR social OR perceptions OR experiences) AND environment) OR neighbourhood) AND ( LIMIT-TO ( SUBJAREA , "SOCI " ) ) AND ( LIMIT-TO ( DOCTYPE , "ar " ) OR LIMIT-TO ( DOCTYPE , " re " ) )</p></div></div></div

Decoding the 15-minute city debate : conspiracies, backlash, and dissent in planning for proximity

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MScience skeptics have spent years attacking climate science, but it has only been recently that post-COVID-19 conspiracy theorists have directed their attention to local city planning, with misinformation campaigns throwing vitriol at the idea of the 15-minute city and denouncing planning best practices as a global form of social engineering with hidden agendas to restrict private freedoms. In this context, urban planners and practitioners need to understand the nature of conspiracy claims and distinguish legitimate concerns about the 15-minute city model. As science skeptics and conspiracy theories gain ground in all sectors of our societies, researchers and city planners need to communicate evidence-based decision making and address science-driven concerns

What Makes a Good Cargo Bike Route? Perspectives from Users and Planners

Cargo bikes—bicycles made to carry both goods and people—are becoming increasingly common as an alternative to automobiles in urban areas. With a wider and heavier body, cargo bikes often face problems even in the presence of cycling infrastructure, thus limiting their possibilities of route choice. Infrastructure quality and the route choices of cyclists have been well studied, but often solely based on a quantitative approach, leading to tools such as BLOS (bicycle level of service). With various designs of cargo bikes being used for a wide range of purposes, the route choice of cargo bike users is difficult to generalize. This study combines quantitative and qualitative approaches in order to explore what is important for cargo bike users’ route choice, and how this knowledge can be effectively used for planning. Our results suggest that while some general preferences exist, route choice involves complex dynamics that cannot be fully explained by quantitative measures alone: in addition to understanding “what” is important for cargo bike users, we need to understand “why” it is important. Furthermore, route choice is also influenced by the city context, making a study tailored to the local context essential

What does it mean to be less mobile? Insights from COVID-19 lockdown?

Until recently, mainstream approaches to low carbon mobility transitions had largely avoided considering mobility reductions as a serious option, focusing instead on making mobility “cleaner” or more “efficient”. In 2020, however, not going to work or not going anywhere became a reality for hundreds of millions of people as a result of restrictions related to COVID-19. The paper proposes that experiences of a less mobile life under COVID-19 may offer us insight into both the taken-for-granted meanings of mobility in daily life before COVID-19, now made visible, and into the potential hurdles faced by low-carbon mobility transitions ahead. Drawing on the analysis of written interviews with 50 people from various countries, the paper explores what living without commuting means for different people, what experiences they miss, and what they find enjoyable.The results indicate that the majority of respondents miss quite a few aspects of daily mobility, but have also discovered new experiences, routines and meanings that hold their daily life together and make it pleasant. Not commuting, thus, just like commuting itself, simultaneously entails positive and negative experiences for most people. Building on these findings, the paper suggests that mobility transition policies need to accommodate this complexity by looking at which needs particular mobilities fulfil. In a context of reduced mobility (e.g. due to teleworking), this means thinking about how needs related to mobility can be accommodated and orchestrated through employer policies, transportation planning and urban design in a way which strengthens sustainable, inclusive mobilities

Living without commuting : experiences of a less mobile life under COVID-19

Understanding experiences of a less mobile life under COVID-19 offers insights into the taken-for-granted meanings of mobility in daily life, and into new opportunities for low-carbon mobility transitions associated with working from home. Drawing on 50 written interviews, this article explores meanings attributed to living without commuting during lockdown, examining what people missed and what they appreciated. The results indicate that the majority of respondents miss multiple aspects of daily mobility but have also discovered new experiences and routines that hold their daily life together and make it pleasant. Our findings thereby emphasize an often-neglected aspect in transport research: the complexity and ambivalence of people’s relationship with daily mobility. Here, commuting is seen simultaneously as a tiresome burden, but also as a key source of interaction with the wider world which is important in sustaining people’s sense of daily balance. Furthermore, ‘compensatory mobilities’ emerge as a widespread practice which helps people retain aspects they miss about commuting while working from home. This practice, we suggest, underscores the intrinsic enjoyment associated with being on the move, and is important for unraveling the potential impacts of working from home on people’s mobility carbon footprint