Siantos, Andreas
(2025)
Governing urban cycling through transport policy and urban design guidance - Linking national guidance to local practice and implementation in English cities.
PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.
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Abstract
The research in this thesis embarks on a thorough exploration of urban cycling, in the context of two main themes: transport policy, and urban design guidance. The inter-relational dynamics of these two themes provide the basis for identifying the challenges that exist with regard to establishing cycling as a primary mode of transport. The thesis also compiles appropriate solutions to overcome them. To understand how urban cycling is shaped by these themes, the thesis pursues an exploration of the processes which govern the design and delivery of cycling policy, the ways in which national cycling policy is disseminated from the national to the local level, and the stakeholders involved in this process. The key objective of this research is to equip urban authority decision-makers with knowledge to establish cycling as a viable and desirable mode of transport. A detailed exploration of existent literature on the evolution of cycling and urban design policy discourse reveals systemic limitations that are derived from the inter-relational dynamics that exist between the two themes in the UK the processes by which cycling policy is designed and delivered each level of governance, and how these interact with each other and affect policy implementation. This led to the formation of two main assumptions: Assumption 1: there is a clear disconnect between cycling policy and urban design governance and guidance across national, regional and local levels of governance. These have significant impacts on policy implementation at the local level in cities across England. Assumption 2: the disjointed nature of governance and its manifestations across the administrative spectrum are not limited to the vertical plane of top-down policy design and delivery. They also appear horizontally across disciplinary lines, as synergies within the wider context of transportation policy and urban design policy are largely absent. In order to fully test these assumptions, comparative case study analysis was undertaken which provides evidence from national, regional and local scales. The primary data for the case studies was collected via elite interviews with senior decision-making personnel from the Department for Transport, Combined Authorities, as well as selected local authorities across England. The case study analysis employs a multiaxial approach, and includes horizontal case study analysis between administrative bodies at each of the three tiers of governance (i.e. the national, regional and local levels), as well as a vertical case study analysis between the same three tiers within city-regions. Analysis of these case studies, as it pertains to Assumption 1, reveals several factors which inhibit the effective delivery of national cycling policy at the local level. There are challenges that are both practical and political in nature. These factors include the structural differences of authorities across the three tiers of governance which are responsible for policy design and delivery, the vulnerability of local authorities to shifting political priorities, the lack of resources, and the reluctance amongst local and regional politicians to prioritise active travel for fear of a political or public backlash. As such, the conclusions drawn from the analysis, validate Assumption 1. The evidence unearthed as it pertains to Assumption 2 likewise reveals that, in the absence of a central dedicated mechanism for cross-disciplinary collaboration, significant challenges emerge which hinder the formation of synergies between cycling policy and urban design guidance. These challenges are found to be the result of inconsistent practices across the tiered governance structure; both vertically and horizontally. The insights gained through this analysis allows this thesis to establish a roadmap for the future of active travel policy, in the form of a framework of policy recommendations. These can provide decision-makers, across the administrative spectrum, with knowledge for the creation of effective cycling-focused policymaking.
| Item Type: | Thesis (PhD) |
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| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Active travel, Gear Change, Sustainable urban mobility, Transport policy, Urban cycling, Urban design, Urban design guidance |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Science and Engineering Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Environmental Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Aug 2025 10:18 |
| Last Modified: | 21 Aug 2025 10:19 |
| DOI: | 10.17638/03193016 |
| Supervisors: |
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| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3193016 |
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