Call for papers on cycling in post-socialist cities
We are pleased to announce a call for papers for those working on cycling in post-socialist cities or the broader CEE region. We invite you to send your abstracts to our session titled “Pedalling Through Change: The Politics, Histories, and Cultures of Cycling in Post-Socialist Cities”. Our panel is part of the Cities After Transition conference, taking place in Tirana, Albania, from 22 to 25 September 2025. Conference information can be found https://cat2025tirana.com/, and all the sessions are outlined https://cat2025tirana.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/List-of-session-proposals_accepted-2.pdf.
Below is the detailed description of our CFP. Please share it with your colleagues who might be interested in the conference and in a potential shared bike ride in Tirana 😉 The research on cycling in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU) is not that widespread, so we would be happy if we could reach the researchers working on that topic and who would also like to join an excellent biannual conference on the region itself (already 11th in the row).
The deadline for the abstracts is 15 June. All abstracts should be sent through the conference website.
Session Title: Pedaling Through Change: The Politics, Histories, and Cultures of Cycling in Post-Socialist Cities
Keywords: Cycling, post-socialism, gender
Abstract: Over the past two decades, research on cycling has experienced a resurgence in the social sciences and related disciplines, leading to countless research papers and numerous edited volumes (Cox, 2020; Spinney, 2020; Vivanco, 2013).
In Western and Northern Europe, qualitative approaches to cycling that emphasize it as a form of journeying that derives meaning from political, historical, and sociocultural contexts (Adey, 2006) have gained traction. Cities in these regions have witnessed a significant increase in cycling adoption, prompting a shift also in academic focus from merely transport planning toward examining the broader societal implications of this form of travel. In this line, Rachel Aldred (2010) has argued that cycling is not only influenced by political decisions of infrastructuring but also actively shapes the political agency of those who relate to a form of “cycling citizenship”. However, despite such uptake, post-socialist urban spaces have not gained similar attention.
Hence, this session seeks contributions that explore the political, historical, and sociocultural dimensions of cycling in Central and Eastern European (CEE) and former Soviet Union (FSU) countries that:
– Investigate how post-socialist urban planning and historical legacies shape cycling cultures and its uptake in CEE and the FSU.
– Explore gendered and intersectional dimensions of cycling practices.
– Examine cycling’s role in care mobilities and unpaid care work.
– Analyze the sensory and ambient dimensions of cycling using alternative methodologies.
– Provide insights into cycling as a form of local and transnational civic activism.
We welcome contributions from scholars across disciplines, in traditional papers or other formats.
Warm regards,
Tauri