The share of cyclists in Stuttgart have long been stable and account for about 5-7%. Measurements of the municipality to develop decent cycling environment have failed to motivate citizens to switch to use the bicycle. Citizens who are confident enough to cycle anyway do not feel appreciated by the city and require a change in city planning and distribution of space. By using practice theory as an approach, this research will analyse the conditions and challenges which need to be managed when performing the practice of cycling in Stuttgart and the requirements of confident cyclists on the urban cycling environment.
The cycling infrastructure network in Stuttgart is the major issue of discussion among cyclists, and cyclists are not satisfied with the situation. Even for confident cyclists, cycling in Stuttgart can be nerve-racking and mentally exhausting as they need to cycle constantly concentrated, foresighted and they need to pay attention to the traffic. However, they express to generally enjoy cycling and prefer it to other modes of travel. The main reasons to use the bicycle are rather practical (time, flexibility and money) and reasons such as health benefits, sustainability or used space play a minor role. Cycling in busy traffic can be demanding and it is required to navigate the bicycle focused and carefully through the urban environment. In order to cope with traffic, cyclists need to be able to evaluate upcoming traffic situations and predict how other road users will behave. This should be promoted by the infrastructure design, especially to motivate other types of cyclists where these aspects play an important role. Establishing designated infrastructure for cyclists is one of the most desired requirements in Stuttgart. Furthermore, do cyclists not feel appreciated by the municipality nor from the other road users. An established cycling culture can help to increase awareness and visibility of cyclists in the city scape and can have positive effects on the willingness of people to cycle.
Since, most studies about cycling focus on engineering solutions, this master thesis also considers sociological aspects and seeks to contribute to a holistic approach and a discussion of the notion of cycling in Stuttgart.