A tale of two-wheeled cities: practices of mobility in Hanoi and copenhagen.

Abstract

Based on mobile methods, observations and interviews, this paper approaches these two diverging mobility paths from a practice perspective, focusing on how material, social and cultural factors have shaped the particularities of Hanoi’s and Copenhagen’s streetscapes. This involves a consideration of changing systems of provision, policy prioritization and the role of ‘civil society’, but mainly focuses on the changing role of two-wheelers in carrying out everyday practices in the two capital cities. The paper thus contributes to further extending the scope of mobility and consumption research beyond the mature capitalist world, bringing important new knowledge on energy use in an emerging economy. It also argues for the value of new and original comparisons across the old divides of ‘North’ and ‘South’.