ABSTRACT
India has introduced an ambitious urban reform agenda and its policies reference global developmentalism as a 'future proofing' strategy for environments that are described as splintered, degraded, unplannable and deregulated. This chapter presents representations and perceptions of cycling in urban India as a reflection of cultural attitudes and citizenship rights that can engender alternative planning approaches, often outside of formal planning projects and initiatives. It suggests that media reporting, grassroots organization and other forms of activism are 'other' forms of planning in the face of social exclusion and urban crisis. Research on cycling and mobility in Indian cities indicates that cycling and road use are sites of contestation and spatial conflict. The chapter investigates socio-cultural dimensions of cycling as integral to sustainability drawing on media content analysis to identify cultural and spatial narratives of cycling. A media content analysis of The Hindu and The Times of India was undertaken of English-language reports published from 1 January to 10 July 2015.
