CTB Lab 01 Aveiro

Mobility workshop

Lectures and workshop on opportunities for cycling in Aveiro (Portugal) organised in collaboration with the Department of Social Political and Territorial Sciences (DCSPT) of the University of Aveiro.

The lectures and workshop on opportunities for cycling among students in Aveiro (Portugal) was organised in collaboration with the Department of Social Political and Territorial Sciences (DCSPT) of the University of Aveiro as host institution in the framework of Erasmus+ Mobility for teaching conducted by architect Kaja Pogačar from the University of Maribor (Slovenia). In few days of action, the students of the Master program learned about the experience of the development of cycling in Slovenia (where a young political party called List of Cyclists and Pedestrians was founded - www.kolesarjiinpesci.si/), but also to learn about approaches and practices related to the advocacy of cycling and increasing the visibility of cyclists as a social group. The practical part included elements of a tactical urbanism that can be considered as a useful tool as it materializes the discussion topic into physical space. Campus of the University of Aveiro is located in the outskirts of the city of 70.000 inhabitants. Although it is not far from the city centre and the topography is favourable, the majority of students use cars to commute to the faculties, which is visible in the numerous parked cars surrounding the campus. The University was at the time aware of the situation and was trying to promote cycling among students in several ways, among them by creating university bike rental, establishing the university bike centre, enlarging and empowering the community of students cycling (Community bike kitchen). Workshop was organised to support these activities and to transfer the experience and praxis of bike activism from European countries where the culture of cycling has a longer tradition.

The workshop with students was organised in the spirit of tactical urbanism where simple physical interventions are placed in space in order to enable one to one experience, but also to initiate changes in behaviour and understanding. Students were given the task to think about the possible interventions that would inform non-cyclists about the benefits of cycling, to deconstruct stigmas and fears about cycling. In countries where cycling is at the beginners stage it is very difficult to make these initial steps as also many students don’t have the neither skills nor bicycles, along that the cycling infrastructure is poorly represented. The students have during the several hours of work in teams created interesting proposals.

One of them was the DIY signpost that showed the distances in minutes towards the main destinations in the city (centre, train station, port...) in order to better understand how easy and fast these can be accessed by bike. Another was focusing on the rule for motorised vehicles for keeping the safety distance when overtaking the cyclist, which amounts to 1.5 meter. The stick in this length was constructed and mounted on the bike to demonstrate how proper driving should respect the cyclists.

Yet another example was trying to promote the newly opened university bike centre, by putting signs and texts in the direction of it, but also using the cheesy words to make the whole topic more attractive. One of the groups was comparing the expense of using different mobility means, showing the multifaceted benefits of cycling on a daily basis. In conclusion all proposals were placed around the campus, and they happily lived ever after :)

Team: CTB Network and Students of University of Aveiro
Partners: Departamento de Ciências Sociais, Políticas e do Território – UA Universidade de Aveiro, University of Maribor, Plataforma para a inovação social, CTB Network