ABSTRACT

We are standing on the pavement, with Lake Hoan Kiem behind us and the road in front of us. It’s already dark in Hanoi, Vietnam, and I am looking at the continuous flow of motorbikes – a real emblem of the city – wondering how I will make it across to reach the other side of the road. My friend, who has been living in the city for years, offers me the obvious solution: ‘Just keep walking at the same pace; don’t stop and the bikers will avoid you.’ From that evening onwards I know how to cross the road, and align my pedestrian mobility with the mobility of motorbikes and other vehicles in Hanoi.