The woman formerly (and still somewhat currently) known as Hula Hooping Hannah is Hannah Stanton-Gockel, a candidate for a Master’s degree in UX Design & Research at the University of Michigan School of Information. And as an urbanism influencer and carless bike commuter, she has started social media presences on YouTube and TikTok that focus on universal access to road infrastructure for people of all demographics and abilities.
Hers is the kind of mind that came up with Bubbles For Bike Lanes, a five-mile bike ride she convenes a few times each year to 1) call attention to roads that are very dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, and 2) uphold her conviction that the most effective protests are a little goofy.
Like most graduate students, Hannah wants to use data to upend misconceptions about the relationship between cars and vulnerable road users. Why does Michigan’s passionate car culture create biases about cycling’s usefulness? Why do we accept that our daily commutes have be terrible? And why do cities think cyclists can be delivered from harm by a stripe of green paint?
We also talk about how to go carless in the depths of a Michigan winter, the average walking speed of a middle-aged man, and whether Nextdoor Sass would make a good band name.
Other links:
Follow Hannah on Nextdoor
University of Michigan’s 2050 Campus Plan
Mexican bus drivers are trained to experience the fear cyclists feel on the road
Ann Arbor’s bike counter map shows 1.44 million uses of its downtown bikeways
Share this post