Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Speed as an expression and texture of space: Theory at play in a movement activity

Andrews, Gavin J; Griffin, Meridith; Phoenix, Cassandra

Speed as an expression and texture of space: Theory at play in a movement activity Thumbnail


Authors

Gavin J Andrews

Meridith Griffin



Abstract

In recent years, following new materialist, posthumanist and non-representational turns, human geography has increasingly understood the worlds it studies as vital, immediate and emergent. As part of this vision, studies have empirically animated and theoretically articulated various expressions/textures in the movement of space, including its rhythms, shapes, timings, repetitions, sensuousness and infections. Speed is one such expression/ texture that has received some empirical attention but, in comparison to most others, it has not been so thoroughly theorized. In response, this article conducts a reconnaissance into speed, its intentions being to convey some foundational theoretical understandings of speed and, through empirical research, show these at play in social contexts. Specifically, naturalistic participant observations of forms of the movement activity of cycling are used to animate how (1) speed can be represented and affective as a scalar quantity, (2) all objects possess speeds and affect other speeds, (3) speeds and objects are known through relative positions and speeds, (4) speeds create rates of happening, (5) speeds occur in all expressions/textures of space and (6) the accelerating world is engaged at relational speeds. From this reconnaissance, to assist future research on speed, the article closes with some suggested avenues for further inquiry.

Citation

Andrews, G. J., Griffin, M., & Phoenix, C. (2024). Speed as an expression and texture of space: Theory at play in a movement activity. Environment and Planning F, 3(3), 134-161. https://doi.org/10.1177/26349825241263982

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 30, 2024
Online Publication Date Jul 25, 2024
Publication Date 2024-09
Deposit Date Aug 17, 2024
Publicly Available Date Aug 19, 2024
Journal Environment and Planning F
Print ISSN 2634-9825
Electronic ISSN 2634-9825
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 3
Issue 3
Pages 134-161
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/26349825241263982
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2761182

Files






You might also like



Downloadable Citations