Paper Short Abstract:

Amidst contemporary challenges, a new urban paradigm unfolds, prioritizing urban mobility and Barcelona's bicycle lanes (CB). In this doctoral research communication, CB is conceptualized as a sociotechnical system, recognizing its complex interplay among actors, politics, and societal implications.

Paper Abstract:

The prevailing economic, social, and ecological challenges create an opportunity for a transformative urban paradigm, notably centered on urban mobility and the emergence of bicycle lanes (CB). The rapid deployment of CB in Barcelona is intertwined with the city's global network connectivity, yet it reflects local idiosyncrasies and specificities. This communication from an ongoing doctoral research grounded in anthropology and infraestructures, critically examines the CB implementation not as a predefined reality but as a crystallization of ongoing urban processes. Approaching the CB as a 'sociotechnical system,' 'urban assemblage,' or part of 'technogenesis,' the study acknowledges its highly intricate and ever-evolving nature. The CB's political and infrastructural complexities involve a myriad of social actors, diverse political stances, and constant negotiation between normative uses and user appropriations. The CB both influences and is influenced by human actors, technical devices, political positions, and social movements. Far from consensus, it becomes a genuine battleground where various social groups mobilize, fortify positions, and ultimately imprint their significance onto urban spaces, shaping the understanding of inhabiting the city.