Envisioning of smart cycling in seven cities: Discourse analysis of official city documents

Abstract

This article investigates how and why smart cycling is implemented in cities. First, we develop a conceptual framework based on the literature that addresses sustainable transportation in cities,with a focus on cycling. Afterwards, we use this framework to explore how cycling is mentioned in the official discourse of cities by examining published official city documents using discourse analysis. Thus, we investigate the narratives published around smart cycling in seven cities: Helsinki, Montreal, Moscow, Tokyo, Dublin, Boston, and Vancouver. Conducting discourse analysis helps contextualize the implementation of smart cycling in cities, allowing us to grasp whether and how the narratives of smart cycling in the cities’ discourse are aligned towards a more technical or social recipe. This research shows that smart cycling narratives in cities emphasize both its social and technical aspects, reflecting the socio-technical aspects and nature of smart cycling and its discourse. This comprehensive understanding of smart cycling indicates that it can play different roles in different cities, based on a city’s goals and vision. Hence, smart cycling is a versatile tool for addressing urban challenges and building smarter, more sustainable cities, both technically and socially.