The project, building on established connections with a local cycling community in Reading, will investigate the quality, availability, and accessibility of cycling routes in and around Reading as well as riders’ exposure to air pollution while on the move.
Department: Geography & Environmental Science
Supervised by: Dr Nathan Salvidge and Marta O’Brien
Improving the inclusivity, safety, resilience and sustainability of urban areas is a key part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Connected to this, the project will engage with ‘Kidical Mass, Reading’. This is a local family friendly cycling group that encourages children to cycle, while also bringing attention to important cycling related issues, including the lack of appropriate cycle paths for children and their families wanting to cycle in and around Reading. This research, drawing on the experiences of members of Kidical Mass, will explore the suitability of Reading’s current cycle infrastructure as well as Reading Borough Council’s (RBC) plans to improve this (through the ‘Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan’). It will investigate barriers to cycling and recommend improvements based on participants’ lived experiences. The inclusion of air pollution monitoring will also help to bring attention to the issue of air quality which continues to be understudied in Reading. Interviews, observations, and the use of hand-held air quality devices will be the main approaches used throughout this project. While issues of air pollution are gaining attention worldwide, there is limited research on these issues in smaller urban areas, including Reading. The findings from this research will provide important insights that will be relevant to multiple local stakeholders including, but not limited to, RBC and Kidical Mass.
Student will play a key role in working closely with a local community group, Kidical Mass, to understand members’ experiences of cycling in and around Reading. This will require developing rapport with members, as well as undertaking interviews and surveys with different people from the group. The student will also support members to using hand-held air quality monitoring devices. Student will also take part in events run by Kidical Mass, which will involve observations and active participation (potentially at the weekend). The student will attend meetings with multiple stakeholders and interview relevant stakeholders, including contacts from Sustrans, and the Active Travel Officer from Wokingham. As part of a report that will be produced from this project, the student will assist in bringing together a literature review on sustainable transport and cycling in urban areas.
Experience in bringing together a literature review, designing and undertaking interviews and surveys, and working with a local community group is desired, but not essential Student will need to have an interest in sustainable travel, citizen science and urban air quality.
Student will develop skills in interviewing, surveys, participant observations, using contemporary air quality monitoring devices, and engaging with multiple stakeholders.
Working remotely may be possible at times, but the student will need to be in Reading several times over the course of the project.
The hours of work will be mostly flexible. However, on occasion, the student may be asked to attend events run by Kidical Mass on some evenings and weekends (with notice provided).
Monday 10 June 2024 - Friday 19 July 2024
The deadline to apply for this project is 5pm on Friday 5th April 2024. To make an application, please go to the following link and complete the application form: https://forms.office.com/e/pMgea0dAHv. To find this project in the application form, please filter ‘school of project applying to’ and select School of Archaeology, Geography & Environmental Science