Changing Cities and Minds for Active Mobility

Abstract

Historically, city planners had equated transport with motorised vehicles, and developed infrastructure to move them efficiently. This was true of Singapore as well. Until 2008, Singapore’s Transport Ministry did not even consider cycling a legitimate mode of transport. Yet, a decade later, bicycles and other active mobility devices are ubiquitous and have created new challenges for Singapore’s transport planners. The government today defends the bicycle’s right to space, and appeals for patience when Members of Parliament (MPs) and the public complain about reckless riders, and indiscriminately parked shared bicycles. In this case study, we examine how attitudes and policies towards cycling have evolved in Singapore, with the objective of addressing three broad issues: how did significant policy shifts happen; defensible ways for allocating scarce land to different groups of commuters, and the tactics that policymakers can use to change the status quo and manage unintended consequences.