MRP

abstract
The bicycle has played a role in urban life
for over one hundred years. The positive
impacts of an environment conducive to
active travel are wide-ranging, while the
negative externalities associated with an
overreliance on cars is well understood.
After World War II, an explosion of American
suburban growth occurred, drawing city
dwellers from around the country to live in
newly created, car-centric neighbourhoods.
Cars were promoted as the pinnacle of
freedom in American society – eventually
making bicycles and active travel almost
obsolete outside a few major cities in the
US.
Over the past several decades, the financial,
social, physical, and climatic impacts of
prioritising the automobile have grown
increasingly evident. However, most of
the current dialogue surrounding the
reprioritisation of active travel and bicycling
– normally at the expense of cars – is
heavily skewed towards dense, climaticallytemperate
cities. While there might be a
correlation between a region’s climate and
the amount of active travel its residents
engage in, there lacks a comparatively
similar amount of research on active travel
in climates that experience extreme heat.
Moreover, much of the existing research –
although changing quickly – has centred
around best practices found in cities with
relatively high bicycle mode share instead
of the common barriers and challenges
residents face to bicycling in their built
environments. This Project aims to examine
and intervene in the latter, hoping to provide
a base foundation for future research into
the ways to mitigate these challenges
and barriers for residents living in places
that consistently experience extreme heat
events year-to-year.
acknowledgements
I’d like to first thank Matthias Wunderlich,
who helped guide me with consistent,
thorough, and adequate feedback through
the MRP process.
I want to thank Leyla, Maria, Yashvi, Narayan,
Diana, Lena, Euan, and Nick for being incredible
friends and for the support we’ve
been able to give each other throughout
the year. Wherever we may go after this,
these memories will be with us forever.
Mom and Dad - your endless love and support
is the foundation on which I’ve been
able to carry out one of my lifelong dreams.
Thank you.
Lastly, I want to extend the greatest gratitude
to my wife, Kieran, who - at every step
of the way - was willing to help when times
were stressful. Thank you for your walks
with Odie, your cooking, your support, your
great company. and, finally, your willingness
to always “go with the flow” - even if
that means moving across an entire ocean.
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