Climate charity says ‘family cycling’ images are not diverse enough
Climate charity Possible commissioned a new report finds an underrepresentation for cyclists from ethnic backgrounds, visible disabilities, larger bodies, and non-nuclear families. University of Westminsters active travel academy sourced 100 pictures from Google Images of ‘family cycling’.
Hirra Khan Adeogun, co-director at climate charity Possible, said: “In order to meet our climate goals, we have to drastically cut car miles and shift to greener, healthier ways of getting about like walking, wheeling and cycling.”
Possible and the Active travel academy research shows cyclist image lacks diversity, with photos tending to include predominantly white, slim, and able-bodied people. Families tend to be nuclear, heterosexual, and in quiet green locations. Photos are absent of buildings, motor traffic, pedestrians, or cycle infrastructure.
Adeogun said: “It’s disappointing – but not surprising – that the images of families cycling are not diverse enough.”
A lack of diversity in cycling imagery could affect uptake along with cycling portrayal as a leisure activity rather than a mode of transport, according to Possible. People who don’t see themselves represented in imaging may feel the sport isn’t for them.
For the UK to hit its climate goals, people need to be encouraged by the government to walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport, as currently the UK population is using private cars too much. This shift doesn’t only support the UKs climate targets but also prevents the dangers of air pollution.
Only 9.6 million people live in rural parts of the UK compared to 56 million who live in urban areas. Due to this, cycling can not be portrayed as simply a leisure activity but also as an inner-city form of transport.
Adeogun added: “We know there are people who cycle from all backgrounds, we can see them on the roads – food delivery riders, NHS cycle responders, parents dropping their kids to school – but if we want to encourage more people to enjoy the freedom that cycling brings then we’ve got to show them it’s for people who look like them.”
Black, Asian, Mixed Ethnicity (BAME) make up at least 18% of the UK population, whilst 24% have some form of disability. Underrepresenting these sections of society may exclude a large number of people, discouraging them from taking up cycling.
Possible urges authorities and organisations to source photos with more diversity across a range of factors including race, sexuality, body size, disabilities, family structure, and location. The charity hopes this may see uptake in cycling more consistently across the UK.