The spin cycle: Are bike lanes a climate solution or just performative sustainability?

Issues such as ecology and neighbourhood revitalization have the appearance of being part of left-wing politics, when in fact they are often apolitical strategies that enable politicians to appeal to middle-class voters. Is cycling one of these issues? Are bike lanes really a tool for tackling climate change and making cities more livable, or a way of maintaining the status quo of privatization and control in the city? Do they divert our attention from pressing issues such as inflated police budgets, unbridled city-wide development, and the powerlessness of marginalized citizens? This public conversation will explore the nuanced role of cycling in the city and its influence on municipal politics.

Guests:

Alex Megelas is a Montreal-based educator and community organiser. He is the manager of research innovation and business development at Concordia University's Applied AI Institute and teaches at the Saint Paul University School of Conflict Studies. He is a co-founder of the Park-Extension community-based action research network, was an active board gamer and anarchist soccer player until like 15 years ago and ran a record label in Montreal’s tumultuous early aughts.

Hanna Nicol has lived in Montreal since 2017, having lived in both larger and smaller cities. She is an astute observer of her environs, and (private) critic of government. She hopes for accessible alternatives to personal vehicle use that include biking. She holds a Diploma of Technology in Architecture, Building & Engineering Technology from BCIT (Burnaby, BC) but has bounced from jobs and industries, most recently in software development, and including education, service, film and design and construction.

Moderator:

Jimmy Ung is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consultant working at the intersections of education, policy development and community engagement. He is also currently working on a book about privilege and social responsibility. Jimmy is passionate about people, lifelong learning and the ability of public conversations to engage citizens in meaningful ways.

About University of the Streets Café

As a flagship program of Concordia University’s Office of Community Engagement, the public bilingual conversations are free and open to participants of all ages, backgrounds and levels of education. Since its inception in 2003, University of the Streets Café has hosted over 400 bilingual public conversations. 

Follow us on our Facebook page or visit us at concordia.ca/univcafe to learn more about our programming and last-minute scheduling updates.