Lately I have been giving thought to the concept of "cycling landscapes". Is there such a thing, and if so what is it, or what are they? Are there multiple types? How are they defined? Can a landscape be a "cycling landscape" if only the community of cyclists recognizes it as such? Are cycling landscapes purely functional, or can they be of a more abstract nature? Does a cycling landscape need to be unique to cycling, or can other activities take place there without diluting the landscape's perceived meaning? If cycling landscapes exist, are they real physical constructs, or are they metaphorical, experienced on an emotive level through a common language, a language built upon historical references and propagated by shared perceptions? These are a few questions I am interested in examining. Why? Well, as a *landscape anthropologist, I find it to be an interesting topic worthy of my time. Cycling, for the most part, is a transitory activity, carried out in public space. As such, it cannot rely on a widely recognizable space, such as a field or stadium, to help define it. The roads and trails upon which cycling takes place are shared spaces, and thus arriving at a definition of "cycling landscape" becomes more difficult. I am not sure how this little study will progress over the next few weeks, and months, but I do believe that cycling landscapes exist and that it is possible to define them and arrive at suggestions as to their meanings, and how they may impact cyclists now and in the future.
*Incidentally, I do not believe there is an actual field of landscape anthropology, yet; but with a degree in anthropology and another in landscape architecture, I figure it sounds like a valid field of study, and I should be able to combine them in whatever order sounds best.
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