Cycling As a Cooperative

DEGREE PROJECT IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, SECOND CYCLE, 30 CREDITS STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN 2020 CYCLING AS A COOPERATIVE ACT Observing cyclists' interactions with pedestrians at a zebra crossing in Stockholm EDWARD PRICHARD KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Table of contents Abstract................................................................................................................................. 3 List of images, figures, and tables ......................................................................................... 4 Preface ................................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 7 Background and context .................................................................................................... 7 What’s the problem? .......................................................................................................... 8 Aim of the thesis ................................................................................................................ 9 Delimitations of the study................................................................................................... 9 Structure of the paper ........................................................................................................ 9 Impact of Covid-19 .......................................................................................................... 10 Ethics of the study ........................................................................................................... 11 Theory ................................................................................................................................ 11 The practice of cycling ..................................................................................................... 11 The street as a social space ............................................................................................ 14 Method ................................................................................................................................ 17 Ethnomethodology .......................................................................................................... 17 Observations ................................................................................................................... 17 Observations in this study................................................................................................ 18 The Study ........................................................................................................................... 21 Observation sessions ...................................................................................................... 21 The time periods .............................................................................................................. 23 The location ..................................................................................................................... 24 In-person Observations ................................................................................................... 26 Video and Observiaire ..................................................................................................... 28 Data ................................................................................................................................ 32 Results and Analysis ........................................................................................................... 33 Sociability ........................................................................................................................ 33 Efficiency ......................................................................................................................... 38 Final thoughts .................................................................................................................. 42 To note ............................................................................................................................ 42 Discussion .......................................................................................................................... 44 Strengths ......................................................................................................................... 44 Limitations ....................................................................................................................... 44 Further research .............................................................................................................. 45 Recommendations........................................................................................................... 45 1 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 47 Reference List ..................................................................................................................... 48 Appendices ......................................................................................................................... 54 Contents .......................................................................................................................... 54 Appendix 1, In-person observation template .................................................................... 55 Appendix 2: Observation 1, Preliminary Studies .............................................................. 57 Appendix 3: Observation 2, Traffic Count ........................................................................ 58 Appendix 4: Observation 3, Pilot Study............................................................................ 60 Appendix 5: Observation 4, Lunchtime ............................................................................ 62 Appendix 6: Observation 5, Morning ................................................................................ 66 Appendix 7: Observation 6i, Afternoon ............................................................................ 70 Appendix 8: Observation 6ii, Afternoon............................................................................ 72 Appendix 9: Time Periods................................................................................................ 75 Appendix 10: In-person observation, collated results ....................................................... 76 Appendix 11: Issues and recommendations .................................................................... 78 Appendix 12: Observiaire amendments and removals ..................................................... 78 2 Abstract Cycling is undergoing a welcome renaissance, especially in urban contexts. However, there are tensions, in relation to pedestrians, which could negatively affect cycling’s growth. This thesis observes the social interactions and physical reactions of cyclists when co-present with pedestrians at a zebra crossing in central Stockholm. It uses both in-person and video observations with the films being processed using an observiaire, a relatively novel, quantitative method of capturing human behaviours. The results were explored using ideas on the practice of cycling and the street as a social space. It seems that cyclist’s momentum and desire to save energy is clearly important as cyclists will do almost anything except stop for a pedestrian. However, they also seem to have an ability and wish to cooperate. This could be using waves, nods, or shouts, but also invisible and physical communication, what I term peripheral communication. Overall, the cyclists observed were constantly balancing their desire for efficiency against their consideration of pedestrians. 3 List of images, figures, and tables Images Image 1, One of the locations trialled in Observation 1.………………………………... 23 Image 2, Location of the observations within the city centre of Stockholm…………... 25 Image 3, Satellite image showing the junction, and the different forms of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure 25 ……………………………………………………….. Image 4, View of the location from the northbound pedestrian’s perspective, looking towards 26 Vasabron.……………………………………………………… Image 5, View of the location from the southbound pedestrian’s perspective, looking from Vasabron………………………………………………………….. 26 Image 6, View of pedestrians and a cyclist interacting at the zebra crossing, from 27 Riddarhuskajen………………………………………………………..………….. Image 7, Observing and videoing the zebra crossing ………………………………….. 28 Image 8, Screenshot of the observiaire’s contextual variables…...…………………….. 29 Image 9, Screenshot of the observiaire’s behavioural variables………………………... 31 Tables & Figures Table 1, Each observation session’s time and 24 flow……..…………………………...….. Figure 1, Comparing the percentage of social interactions across different flows when one or more pedestrians are 35 present……………………………... Figure 2, Comparing the percentage of specific social interactions across different flows when one or more pedestrians are 37 present.…………………………….. Figure 3, Comparing the percentage of physical reactions across different flows when one or more pedestrians are present.…………………………………… 40 Figure 4, Comparing the percentage of specific physical reactions across different flows when one or more pedestrians are 42 present…………………………….. 4 Preface This thesis was

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