Abstract
This chapter examines the changes in cycling advocacy and governance in Hong Kong to identify the main constraints experienced in their attempts to promote urban bicycle mobility. First, we find out that other global cities’ demonstration effect and the problems rooted in the dual-structure traffic system contribute to the emergence of cycling activists. Through both online and offline frequent interactions, emerging activists build both individual and organisational connections with each other. They also interact with other influential actors in the urban cycling field and attempt to form resonances in shaping the legitimacy of alternative cycling images and policy proposals. To some extent, they successfully transformed from invisible to visible the urban cycling issue and are becoming increasingly influential within the field. However, Hong Kong’s ‘no cycling’ history results in a mixture of recreational and utilitarian cycling activists. Among them, there is a division based on their views of urban cycling that has been exposed and expanded during the interactions with the government. Therefore, activists concentrate on short-term goals rather than on a shared long-term vision, which partially explains why this dynamic of social interactions has not yielded a significant advancement of urban cycling yet.
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Notes
- 1.
These eight are selected from the ‘List of newspapers in Hong Kong’, accessed at https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E5%A0%B1%E7%B4%99%E5%88%97%E8%A1%A8. They are South China Morning Post, Apple Daily, Hong Kong Economic Times, Ming Pao Daily, Oriental Daily News, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Hong Kong Commercial Daily and Sing Pao Daily News. For each newspaper/magazine, we chose the top 50 articles/editorials as ranked by ‘relevance’ when searching for ‘香港 + 單車’ (Hong Kong + bicycle) on the website of each newspaper/journal.
- 2.
There are myriads of examples, such as the articles in some widely circulating local newspapers: Ming Pao Daily (http://www.e123.hk/ElderlyPro/details/297883). See also multiple links at the website and Facebook page of the Hong Kong Cycling Alliance (http://hkcyclingalliance.org/).
- 3.
For example, the average commuting time in Hong Kong is 29.2 minutes per day, and (only) 13% of citizens spend more than 45 minutes commuting per day, which is lower than in the UK (25%), Singapore (19%), and Japan (38%) (Regus 2011).
- 4.
Critical Mass is a monthly ride with the purpose of raising awareness for cycling. It started in San Francisco in 1992 and has spread to hundreds of cities worldwide. In Hong Kong, it is held on the last Saturday of each month: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/massridehk/info, accessed 8 June 2016.
- 5.
A key annual event to remember injured cyclists in Hong Kong, which has lasted for 11 years: http://hkcyclingalliance.org/3167-2, accessed 8 June 2016.
- 6.
From 25 October 2016 to 11 April 2017. For more details, please refer to the website of this event: http://bikethemoment.com/tinkwongride/#comment-1953, accessed 25 January 2017.
- 7.
Such as Oriental Daily News (http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/lifestyle/20140116/00321_001.html), Hong Kong Economic Journal (http://forum.hkej.com/node/108454), Hong Kong Commercial Daily (http://www.hkcd.com.hk/content/2012-10/03/content_3057260.htm), Sing Pao Daily News (http://www.singpao.com/xw/ht/201309/t20130909_458237.html), and South China Morning Post (http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1885777/turn-hong-kongs-harbourfront-urban-haven-people-rather-cars).
- 8.
For instance, the independent film My Riding Diary directed by Wang Qin-yuan in 2009.
- 9.
More discussion about ‘professional cyclists’ attitudes can be attained at Fitz (Cycling), accessed at http://fitz.hk/sports/cycling.
- 10.
For more information: http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/news/20150616/00176_035.html, accessed 8 June 2017.
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Tan, H., Martínez López, M.A. (2019). Has Urban Cycling Improved in Hong Kong? A Sociopolitical Analysis of Cycling Advocacy Activists’ Contributions and Dilemmas. In: Yip, N., Martínez López, M., Sun, X. (eds) Contested Cities and Urban Activism. The Contemporary City. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1730-9_6
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