This document presents a summary of Katja Leyendecker's PhD research which compares public perceptions of cycling in Newcastle and Gateshead, UK to Bremen, Germany. The research involves three phases: 1) quantifying cycling rates in both cities, 2) conducting interviews and surveys to understand perceptions of cycling safety and infrastructure, and 3) developing recommendations to improve cycling rates based on differences observed between the two locations. Background information is provided on factors influencing women's cycling rates and the importance of socio-cultural context in comparing transportation modes between cities.

1. Public perceptions of cycle space
comparing two cities
method and approach
Katja Leyendecker
PhD candidate
Northumbria University
Newcastle, UK

2. Contents
Global context
UK context
Socialisation
Sensitive setting
Recommended remedies
X my research
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3. From the academic message boards
Fiona Spotswood et al (2015)
Despite significant national
and local efforts over the last
decade to stimulate uptake of
cycling in the UK, levels of
cycling (particularly utility
cycling) remain at around 2%
of journeys
Jan Garrard
If you want to know if
an urban environment
supports cycling, you
can forget about all the
detailed ‘bikeability
indexes’—
just measure the
proportion of cyclists
who are female
Source Scientific American 2009
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4. Global context
Sources: graph: Garrard, J., et al. (2012). Women and cycling. City cycling. J. Pucher and R. Buehler,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
red : UK Census 2011, blue: VEP Bremen 2025
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5. UK context
Source: Census 2011
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6. Socialisation
Women’s lives are gendered:
• Main care-giver (still)
• Escorting (school run), shopping, chores and errands
• More trips
• Trip-chaining
• Shorter distances
• Complex travel diaries
• Safety / security (vs) comfort / convenience
These trips in
High-cycling countries are cycled
Low-cycling countries done by car
6 / 18Lehner-Lierz, U. (1997). The role of cycling for women. The greening of urban transport. R. Tolley, Wiley and Son.

7. Sensitive setting
Context, context, context… global positioning
Locationcountry / city
Locationdescriptive factors
• Mode share and shift potentials
• Policies and their enactment for social change
• Powerwebs and –landscapes and social norms
Locationhistory/past context, trajectory
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8. Recommended remedies
Part A – contextualising the socio-ecological model
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9. Recommended remedies
Part A – contextualising the socio-ecological model
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10. Recommended remedies
Part B – acknowledging power, control and agency
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11. Recommended remedies
Part B – acknowledging power, control and agency
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12. Recommended remedies
Part C – conceptual model
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Source: Mitra, R. (2013). "Independent mobility and mode choice for school transportation: a review and
framework for future research." Transport reviews 33(1): 21-43.

13. My research
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Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3

14. My research
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Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3

15. My research
Phase 1 Quantify
Newcastle + Gateshead Bremen
___________________________________________________________________
Population 490,000 550,000
Density person/km 2,000 1,700
Source: Wikipedia
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16. My research
Phase 1 Quantify
Source: Philippe Crist (2013). Love Cycling Go Dutch Conference, Newcastle
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17. Reading material
1. Aldred, R., et al. (2015). "Does More Cycling Mean More Diversity in Cycling?" Transport reviews: 1-
17.
2. Aldred, R. (2015). "Adults’ attitudes towards child cycling: a study of the impact of infrastructure."
European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research 15(2): 92 - 115.
3. Eyer, A. and A. Ferreira (2015). "Taking the tyke on a bike: mother's; and childless women's space-
time geographies in Amsterdam compared." Environment and Planning A 47(3): 691-708.
4. Garrard, J., et al. (2012). Women and cycling. City cycling. J. Pucher and R. Buehler, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT).
5. Goodman, A. (2013). "Walking, cycling and driving to work in the English and Welsh 2011 census:
trends, socio-economic patterning and relevance to travel behaviour in general." PLoS ONE 8(8):
e71790.
6. Jarvis, H. and S. Alvanides (2008). "School choice from a household resource perspective:
Preliminary findings from a north of England case study." Community, Work & Family 11(4): 385-
403.
7. Hillman, M., et al. (1990). One false move: a study of children's independent mobility. London, PSI.
8. Mitra, R. (2013). "Independent mobility and mode choice for school transportation: a review and
framework for future research." Transport reviews 33(1): 21-43.
9. Shaw, B., et al. (2012). Children’s independent mobility: a comparative study in England and
Germany (1971‐2010). London: Policy Studies Institute.
10. Spotswood, F., et al. (2015). "Analysing cycling as a social practice: An empirical grounding for
behaviour change." Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour 29: 22-33.
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18. Thanks for listening
Email katja.leyendecker@northumbria.ac.uk
Blog https://katsdekker.wordpress.com/
Twitter@katsdekker
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