Research projects

The Bicycle Media Milieus project brings together mobility research, social research, and media studies to develop more diverse and accessible media representations of cycling. In collaboration with practitioners, guidelines with tips and best practices are being developed for local authorities and media professionals.

The project team from Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, Ruhr University Bochum, and ILS Research is investigating the representation of bicycles and cycling in the media. Of particular interest is how certain milieus and population groups are associated with bicycles. The aim is to identify stereotypical and one-sided representations in order to develop proposals for how cycling can be shown as normal, diverse, and socially compatible.

To this end, the project team is combining the recording of milieu-specific media and mobility orientations with real-life factors influencing the perception and use of bicycles, as well as a media analysis of selected formats in film, TV, social media, and advertising. In this context, the ILS Research team is responsible for planning, conducting, and evaluating a standardized survey on bicycle and media use and related attitudes and value patterns in six German cities.