Promoting a Transition to Clean and Inclusive Mobility in the Global South: A Socio-Technical Analysis of Public Bike Sharing Systems in São Paolo

Abstract

As a result of recent trends of mega-urbanization, cities in the Global South face severe problems related to urban mobility, including congestion, air pollution, and health. In addition, land use and urban transport policies based on motorized transport contribute significantly to climate change. Scholars have therefore proposed a sustainable mobility paradigm, stressing the need for a transition towards clean and inclusive mobility. One innovation that recently gained importance is public-bike sharing systems. However, it has been unclear what the roles of different actors are in promoting this transition in Global South cities, and what drivers and barriers exist.

Besides being one of the biggest metropolises in the Global South, São Paulo also faces some of the worst mobility conditions. Besides, it recently saw the emergence of three public bike sharing systems. This research therefore takes São Paulo as a case study area, and studies the role of different actors promoting the transition towards clean and inclusive mobility. The data-collection included a five-month field research in São Paulo, where semi-structured interviews have been conducted with public-bike sharing systems companies, cycloactivist organizations, and senior administrative and political decision-makers working at the Municipality of São Paulo.

Findings suggest that civil society organizations play a much bigger role in promoting the transition than previously anticipated upon in the literature. Together with private actors, civil society actors have consolidated cycling policy by forming professional organizations, using depolitization strategies and providing technical assistance to the Municipality. Socio-institutional innovation at the municipal level facilitated a closer collaboration between key actors, allowing the emergence of an epistemic community. It further suggests that public bike sharing companies form an important contribution to pushing the regime to stimulate clean mobility. However, this research finds that problems of inclusivity remain as a result of deregulation of public bike sharing system policy at the municipal level. Last, this thesis identifies drivers and barriers that currently affect the transition and provides recommendations to further accelerate clean and inclusive mobility in the Global South.