Affective Vélomobilities of Care: a Gender-Sensitive Approach to Sustainable Mobility

ongoing

Within Europe, women spend up to twice as much time on unpaid care work as men do and mobility related to care tasks represents a significant part of women’s daily travel. Escorting children tends to be unequally distributed amongst parents and they are much more likely to travel with their mothers than with their fathers. By introducing the novel concept of affective vélomobilities of care that focuses on the use of bicycle for accompanying children to their everyday activities, VELOCARE addresses a critical research question that is often ignored in most cities: how does the urban environment either contribute to or exacerbate gender disparities by facilitating or impeding the mobility of women who escort their children? Through the implementation of a policy-oriented interdisciplinary approach and innovative methodology that builds on sensory data, the research examines the broader implications of these dynamics on the emotional bonding of the mother and child, and on women’s choice to adapt cycling as an environmentally sustainable mode of transportation in Tallinn, Estonia. Putting emphasis on the ‘soft’ aspects of everyday travel, the research will advance knowledge that will help put affect and care at the centre of mobilities planning and make cities more inclusive of the needs of women and children.