Familial mobilities beyond the private car

Electric bikes and car sharing in Sydney, Australia

Bibliographic Data

ID13104160
AuthorsRobyn Dowling (0000-0001-8998-2685, The University of Sydney, corresponding author), Sophia Maalsen (0000-0001-6384-0785, The University of Sydney)
Year2019
Volume5
Issue1
Pages53-67
Publication date2019-02-26
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueApplied Mobilities (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2380-0127 • E-ISSN: 2380-0135
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/23800127.2019.1571658
OpenAlexW2917654366
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited34

Mobility practices are one of the central labours of family, through which the relations of kin and non-kin are negotiated. In many cities, the private car has been and is central to familial mobility through the transportation of objects and people, as well as enabling the accomplishment of familial social activities. Recent technological disruptions to transport systems and the increased popularity of non-car modes are challenging such tight interleaving of cars and family. In this paper, we investigate this decoupling of family and private-car-based mobility through a focus on two relatively novel modes: car sharing and electric bikes. Drawing on a qualitative engagement with car sharers and e-bike cyclists in Sydney, Australia, we document how these non-car modes become valued and effective forms of travel for families, and in particular how they facilitate three of the key affordances of the private car for families: carrying, cocooning and convenience. We find that car sharing affords families independent and flexible mobility through a recalibration of convenience. Electric bikes, especially cargo bikes, more easily accommodate the familial needs of carrying objects and people, and are understood as time saving. These two cases, we conclude, help specify the cultural conditions in which the decoupling of family and cars can be more successfully pursued

Affordance · Business · Car sharing · Electric cars · Human–computer interaction · Mobilities · Popularity · Private transport · Public transport · Sociology · Transport engineering · Computer Science · Engineering · Psychology · Sharing Economy and Platforms · Social Psychology · Transportation and Mobility Innovations · Urban Transport and Accessibility · Automotive Engineering