MRP

2.1 | methodology
This Project’s methodology for research,
design, and implementation first began
with an initial literature review following
a research question on the overarching
barriers to bicycling in urban/suburban
environments, specificities as to how
humans operate in extreme heat, and
climate-sensitive catered design solutions.
(February – April 2021). Examination of
case studies and construction of a design
framework followed (April – June 2021),
which helped inspire the creation of a
design proposal for the study site (June
– August 2021. Lastly, reflections and
conclusions regarding the theoretical
and practical implementation of the
design proposal and design framework
were collected (August 2021).
The initial literature review analysed
various pieces of academic literature,
government data, contemporary
professional dialogue, and subject books
relevant to active travel and urban design
around the world. An emphasis on climatesensitive
research and examinations in
literature guided the Project’s pursuit of
questioning whether places that reliably
experience extreme heat events yearto-year
could be conducive to higher
bicycle mode share. Commonalities
between cities and suburban areas
around the world that have successfully
increased the number of residents that
bicycle (commuting, leisure, or both)
were connected. Disparities between
research on colder-climate areas and
warmer-climates were found, where the
former seems to draw more attention
as more temperate cities may be more
conducive to active travel by bicycle. This
Project aims to contribute to the existing
vacancies in active travel dialogue for
extreme weather climates.
The four case studies include (1) Sydney,
Australia; (2) Taipei, Taiwan; (3) Carmel,
Indiana; and (4) Barcelona, Spain. These
locations were chosen based on a mix
of their relative similarities in climate to
the study site’s (Flower Mound, Texas)
politics, cultural similarities, exemplary
solutions to the overarching barriers
to bicycling in the US, and/or their built
environment. These similarities enable the
transposition of successful interventions,
implementations, and initiatives found in
these cities to the study site in conjunction
with the constructed design framework.
Four roads in Flower Mound, Texas were
chosen to apply the conceptual design
framework. These thoroughfares serve a
vast majority of north-south and east-west
traffic in the city but are underutilised
in serving non-car modes of travel. The
framework does not aim to provide
solutions for long-distance, intraregional
bicycle travel in the Dallas-Fort Worth
region. It instead looks at the potential to
replace cars with bicycles for local trips
to supermarkets, schools, workplaces,
and others – scaled to fit similar built
environment contexts in American
suburbs. Connecting the existing bicycle
network with safe bicycle infrastructure
on these roadways can potentially induce
local commuter and leisure trips.
The theoretical implementation of
the design proposal and conceptual
framework provide the basis for reflections
of the entire process and outcomes at the
final stages of the Major Research Project.
Following conclusionary reflections, the
potential for future research, literature,
and debate on bicycles as a mode of
comprehensive active travel in extreme
heat environments is made clear.
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