Cambridge Fieldwork

Cambridge was chosen because it has the highest levels of cycling in the UK. A unique city, it is flat, dry, and historic – its core was not redeveloped to accommodate the rise of the motorcar post World War Two. Driving around the city is notoriously slow, while cyclists can take advantage of parks and river paths as well as roads and (bumpy!) cobbled streets.

Cambridge has a relatively large Cycling Campaign, with a strong web presence. CCC members set up the Cyclestreets web site which is a way for cyclists to share routes and information.Men and women are almost equally likely to commute by bicycle, which is unusual for the UK.

Cambridge University undergraduates, like those at Oxford, have traditionally been barred from bringing cars with them. Girton College states:

“Cars require a University licence (issued by the Motor Proctors only on tutorial recommendation) … Under no circumstances may an undergraduate bring a car to Cambridge without prior tutorial permission.”