Urban transport and social action. The Movimiento Furiosos Ciclistas and the right to the city

As in many large cities, rapid urbanisation in Santiago (Chile) has been accompanied by problems of urban sprawl, inequality, and issues with transportation. Since the late nineties social an increasing amount of social movements have emerged that advocate the bicycle as a healthier, more efficient, and non-polluting transport alternative for that city. This thesis investigates the first of these new social movements, the Movimiento Furiosos Ciclistas (MFC), using the concept of the right to the city, introduced by the French sociologist and philosopher Henri Lefebvre, and which has undergone a revival over the last decade as a critical approach to the effects of urbanisation under neoliberalism on societies and their cities. The applicability of Lefebvre’s right to the city as a citizen’s demand for inclusion to their city and a greater control over its space is tested on the MFC in Santiago in the period spanning its emergence in 1994 up to the present year of 2015.The study...Show moreAs in many large cities, rapid urbanisation in Santiago (Chile) has been accompanied by problems of urban sprawl, inequality, and issues with transportation. Since the late nineties social an increasing amount of social movements have emerged that advocate the bicycle as a healthier, more efficient, and non-polluting transport alternative for that city. This thesis investigates the first of these new social movements, the Movimiento Furiosos Ciclistas (MFC), using the concept of the right to the city, introduced by the French sociologist and philosopher Henri Lefebvre, and which has undergone a revival over the last decade as a critical approach to the effects of urbanisation under neoliberalism on societies and their cities. The applicability of Lefebvre’s right to the city as a citizen’s demand for inclusion to their city and a greater control over its space is tested on the MFC in Santiago in the period spanning its emergence in 1994 up to the present year of 2015.The study analyses, firstly, the history, actions, and the organisation of the Movimiento Furiosos Ciclistas as a response to problems of Santiago’s urbanisation; secondly, the movement’s success in making such a demand and the obstacles that hinder; and finally, it tests the right to the city’s unifying potential in analyzing the relationship of the MFC to similar New Social Movements.Show less

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Urban transport and social action. The Movimiento Furiosos Ciclistas and the right to the city