A sense of freedom: Exploring everyday experiences of cycling in an Irish regional city

Abstract

In current policy and planning discourse, there is great interest in reimagining and redesigning cities as more cycling-friendly spaces. Research shows that good cycling infrastructure is the first step to increasing cycling rates. However, social and cultural factors are also important for understanding the attractions of cycling and barriers to cycling but these tend to be under-explored in transport policy and research. In partnership with the Cork Environmental Forum and the Cork Cycling Campaign, this study set out to develop social scientific knowledge about cycling as a social practice, focusing on Cork as a case study of an Irish regional city, with a view to informing pro-cycling policy.