Young people, active travel and social justice: findings from a participatory research study in the North East of England

Many cities have environmental sustainability goals. Active travel – people walking, cycling or combining the two with public transport to reduce individual car use – contributes to reducing carbon emissions. Active travel is impeded by road infrastructure prioritising car use. Public consultations regarding transport policies, typically using online surveys and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), generate maps for spatial analysis by city planners, but may exclude marginalised groups’ inputs. This case study of young cyclists aspiring to participate in the public consultation on a new regional active travel strategy examined their experiences, identifying systemic barriers they encountered. Using a Participatory Action Research approach, the group engaged a variety of research methods, including combining and adapting Photovoice and Go-Along Interviews. Additionally, adults in the research group used social work skills to facilitate, support and provide capacity-building skills to enable young people to address social justice barriers which precluded participation in the public consultation. Thematic analysis of ethnographic field notes and Group Session transcriptions found that young people prioritise fun and safety when cycling, which has the additional benefit of promoting youth agency and autonomy. The group used their data to build a dynamic map of their lived experiences of cycling, thus using counter-power to overcome the barriers to consultation participation. Their data was held on the Padlet platform, which produced global positioning coordinates, thus evolving into a new tool providing quantitative data to integrate with GIS software. As Padlet is free, online and accessible, it can facilitate marginalised groups taking control of their narratives as they contribute to consultations. If used by city planners during community engagement, the tool can deliver more inclusive public feedback, reducing the chances of perpetuating epistemic inequalities otherwise arising, as cities and regions aim to reduce carbon emissions.