Dear all,

Please see an advert for a post-doc position in non-motorised transport at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil below. Apologies for cross-posting.

With best wishes,
Tim

Postdoc position - Transport Planning - Non Motorized Transport
http://fapesp.br/oportunidades/1324/

Project Title: DEPICT: DEsigning and Policy Implementation for encouraging Cycling and walking Trips
City: São Carlos
Main researcher in Brazil: Antônio Nélson Rodrigues da Silva
Institution: USP-São Carlos
Deadline for applications: January 2, 2017

Project Summary
Postdoc position for FAPESP's Thematic Project 2015/50129-5 entitled "DEPICT: DEsigning and Policy Implementation for encouraging Cycling and walking Trips". The work will take place with the Transportation Planning Group of the Transportation Engineering Department from São Carlos Engineering School - University of São Paulo (USP-São Carlos), under the supervision of Prof. Antônio Nélson Rodrigues da Silva.

Walking and cycling are the most sustainable modes of transport in cities and should be placed at the heart of a transition towards low-carbon urban mobility systems. This is because walking and cycling can improve the life chances and health and wellbeing of each city inhabitant - irrespective of their socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, age - with hardly any adverse impact on the lives of fellow inhabitants. Research on how walking and cycling in cities can be encouraged is burgeoning and provides many compelling insights. However, insights about the role of infrastructure in stimulating urban walking and cycling are limited because the focus is typically on the 'hardware' of cycle lanes, sidewalks, bike sharing schemes, road design, urban design and so forth; the 'software' of governance, regulation, information provision, maintenance and repair as well as the embedded knowledge, know-how, meanings, values, aspirations and emotions are not always given the emphasis they deserve. Moreover, the research is often set in cities in the global North and assumes insights and concepts that has emerged from there as universally valid and easily transferable to cities in the global South.

This international research project is a collaboration of researchers at the universities of Utrecht, São Paulo and Oxford. The activities undertaken by the Brazilian team will analyze planning strategies adopted in the cities of São Carlos and São Paulo (São Paulo state), Groningen, Amsterdam and Houten (The Netherlands), and London (UK), at both ‘hardware’ (pathways, parking) and ‘software’ (policies, practices, governmental support) levels, identifying successful pathways for stimulating cycling. Specifically, this project will try to: a) Measure in São Paulo noise exposure and stress levels of cyclists; and b) Understand the role of user’s perspectives in planning strategies adopted by the selected municipalities. The candidate will conduct literature review, data collection and data analysis for the main activities of the research. The investigation of the planning strategies will be carried through based on observation and consultation to municipalities and other stakeholders involved in the municipalities mobility planning. Structured interviews and/or focal groups will be scheduled with local stakeholders. A spatially referenced mobile sensor will be used to measure noise exposure. The stress level of cyclists will be measured through sensors that identify autonomic bodily functions as indicators for stress. Additionally, the candidate will be responsible for the preparation of workshops to guarantee stakeholders’ involvement and raise the research dissemination.

Candidate requirements
We are looking for a researcher with a PhD degree in the fields of transportation engineering, civil engineering, urban engineering, urban/regional planning, geography, or related disciplines, preferably with previous research experience related to non motorized transport modes. It is required full time dedication to the project's activities. The opportunity is open internationally and we ask for good written and spoken English, and preferably also Portuguese, language skills. Other requirements also apply, according to directives from Fapesp, which are available in http://fapesp.br/bolsas/pd. The selection will be based on candidates’ résumés and on their potential contribution to the field of the project.

Applications
Interested candidates should send two recommendation letters, a letter of interest, and résumé, including details of previous research activities. The material needs to be sent until January 2, 2017, in one PDF document, to Antônio Nélson Rodrigues da Silva ([log in to unmask]). Enquiries can be directed to the same email address or to Gustavo Garcia Manzato ([log in to unmask]).

Dr Tim Schwanen

Associate Professor in Transport Studies and Fellow of St Anne's College
Director of the Transport Studies Unit

School of Geography and the Environment
University of Oxford
South Parks Road, Oxford
OX1 3QY, England

PA: Mrs Kirsty Ray, [log in to unmask]
Phone: +44 (0)1865 285503 / 285070

http://www.tsu.ox.ac.uk/people/tschwanen.html
http://www.cied.ac.uk<http://www.cied.ac.uk/>
http://www.timschwanen.com<http://www.timschwanen.com/>