RE-SIGNIFICATION OF URBAN SPACE: THE BICYCLE AS A MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION AND LEISURE

Abstract

The historical urban development favoring the use of the car in the big cities has created important problems in urban mobility. Considering the growing number of urban cyclists in Belo Horizonte, this article looked for the main reasons for the citizen to ride the bike, how they perceive the public transportation policies and if they incentive bicycle use as an alternative to the car. An interview based research of thirteen cyclists of Belo Horizonte was conducted and even though bicycle lanes were build in the city in the past years they did not bring effective changes according to the people interviewed. Were pointed out the lack of connection between bicycle anes, educational campaigns, traffic signs as well as cycling infrastructure and other measures to promote street sharing. Cyclists redefine the urban space through their movement, moment of leisure and social interactions. Choosing the bicycle as mean of transportation through the city is seen as a form of resistance to the social ideology of the auto-mobile.