Jens Stefan Benöhr Riveros and Rodrigo Herrera Ojeda provide a nuanced exploration of urban mobility in Concepción, Chile, revealing how transportation choices shape not only spatial dynamics but also modes of embodiment, perception, and social interaction. The study contrasts the experiences of motorists and cyclists, showing how the former, shielded by their vehicles, tend towards social isolation, while the latter, exposed and in constant interaction with their environment, develop a more engaged and relational sense of the city. This dichotomy serves as a framework to understand mobility not merely as technical infrastructure, but as a socio-cultural phenomenon embedded in everyday life. Drawing on theories of urban perception and body-space relations, the authors argue that the physical act of moving through the city is a form of situated knowledge production, where users continually reinterpret and reconfigure urban space. The research highlights how affective atmospheres, spatial rhythms, and the materiality of urban infrastructure influence how inhabitants relate to each other and to their surroundings. Importantly, the article posits that transportation policies must account for these experiential dimensions, advocating for urban designs that prioritise intermodal balance, environmental sustainability, and human-scale planning. By situating mobility within the broader fabric of urban life, this study contributes to a more holistic understanding of how cities are lived, imagined, and contested on a daily basis.
Benöhr Riveros, J.S. and Herrera Ojeda, R. (2018) ‘Acelerador y pedal: la metamorfosis urbana en Concepción’, URBS. Revista de Estudios Urbanos y Ciencias Sociales, 8.