Toronto Cycling Think and Do Tank
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  • About Us
    • Purpose
    • People
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    • University of Toronto School of the Environment
    • Contact Us
  • Projects
    • Bike Host: Building Mobility and Community through Cycling Mentorship
    • Cycling for All: An urban cycling Think & Do Tank
    • Increasing Cycling for Transportation in Canadian Communities
    • Pedalwise Bicycle Metorship Program
    • Mobilizing Business Communities to Support Safe Cycling Infrastructure
    • Scarborough Cycles
  • Publications and Research
    • Toronto Cycling Data >
      • Data on Cycling Behaviour in Toronto
      • Mapping Cycling Behaviour in Toronto >
        • A Snapshot of Cycling Behaviour in Toronto
        • Mapping Cycling Behaviour in Toronto (2011 Data)
        • Mapping Cycling Behaviour in Toronto (2006 Data)
        • Cycling Shops and Service Facilities in Toronto
        • Proportion of Trips in Toronto under 5km by mode
        • Population density by ward
        • Identification of wards suitable for further study
    • Social Infrastructure: Behaviour Change Techniques >
      • Behaviour Change Literature Matrix
      • Barriers: Identification and Removal
    • Publications
    • Newsletters >
      • Winter 2013 Newsletter
  • Resources
    • Behaviour Change Training Module
  • Blog

About us

The Cycling Think & Do Tank is a multidisciplinary, multi-sector research project focused on increasing cycling as a primary transportation choice. Initiated with funding from a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Development grant, our work focuses on:
  • mapping cycling patterns
  • exploring the economic benefits of cycling for transportation
  • bringing together literature from both environmental psychology and active transportation 
  • and developing an integrated suite of tools for increasing cycle use in daily transport

With this initiative, Principal Investigator Beth Savan, a veteran University of Toronto School of the Environment researcher, has built a coalition of expert practitioners and academics to address an important gap in knowledge about building more sustainable cities: how experience from the behavioural change field (applied extensively to building occupants) can be transferred to the field of active transportation.
 

Where we fit in the research world

Evidence to date suggests  three elements interact to encourage cycling for daily transportation: these are individual and collective behaviour, infrastructure, and urban rules and processes. Today, many cities are focusing on upgrading and improving roads to incorporate appropriate infrastructure for safe cycling. Urban rules and processes, particularly laws governing responsibility, safety and citizen involvement can also significantly improve cycling-inclusion. Behaviour is the third crucial factor. Promotion, education and other campaigns often focus on behaviour. To date, however, there are few experiences and even fewer studies of the most effective measures for increasing cycling behaviour. Using experience gained from the environmental field and health promotion, the Cycling Think & Do Tank is focused on this vital aspect of  social change.
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Figure Credit: Lake Sagaris
© Toronto Cycling Think & Do Tank, School of the Environment, University of Toronto 2016. The material on this site (reports, maps, charts and diagrams), created by the Toronto Cycling Think & Do Tank is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Our research contributions are made possible through the generous support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, The Metcalf Foundation, support from our partners and prior funding from the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Currently this research is contributing to projects and cycling programs in the Cities of Toronto, Scarborough and Ottawa, and the Regional Municipality of Peel. 
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