New research out of the University of Waterloo is looking into how cycling lanes and cycling infrastructure is viewed in different types of neighbourhoods.
The study focused on homes in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo and shows buyers in urban cores are more interested in having cycling lanes near their homes compared to those looking to live in the suburbs.
This especially the case when it comes to cycling as a means of transportation and for its contribution to a "hip urban lifestyle."
Those looking to live in the suburbs tend to prioritize internal amenities when looking for a home, though cycling was seen as a positive for recreation and a healthy lifestyle.
The study was conducted by Emma McDougall and Brian Doucet of the University of Waterloo's School of Planning and was funded in part by the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo.
"Our analysis of the way in which cycling is positioned in the home buying and home building process in different parts of the city can help interpret the complex and, in some cases, contradictory ways in which cycling is part of a neighbourhood's identity," said McDougall.
The researchers hope their work will help planners and policymakers interested in implementing cycling infrastructure, especially when it comes to the drastically different views that are held in car-oriented suburbs versus compact urban cores
The study titled "Polarized Paths: Selling Cycling in City and Suburb" was recently published in Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie.
