Brett Petzer, PhD (2016-2020) completed his research Cycling as a Service. He did a BA in Politics and International Relations at Rhodes University in South Africa as well as a BA in Architectural Studies at the University of Cape Town, before doing a MA in City and Regional Planning at the same university.

Brett’s PhD project investigated the role of cycling-as-a-service (CaaS) in the mobility systems of Dutch cities. This research lies at the intersection of broader trends like the sharing economy (shared mobility, bikeshare), modal integration (the transition to seamless multimodal travel), and sustainability transitions. Though empirical research, Brett defined the ways in which cycling is currently being provided as a service to Dutch consumers, and how these business models enable or constrain potential integration within the sector. Furthermore, potential pathways towards the seamless integration of CaaS into modally integrated mobility systems is explored, with a focus on governance perspectives and the safeguarding of public goods, such as public open space. This project mobilized several bodies of work in particular, such as transitions theory, transport justice, and work on the sharing economy in order to create knowledge that is of use to policy-makers and entrepreneurs in the CaaS sector alike. Particular contributions of this project lies in such areas as the business models supporting shared cycling mobility, the relationship between a mature national cycling regime and a servitized mobility niche, and how interoperability can be achieved in a rapidly evolving industry.

Publications