in exurbia

This paper is about car dependency among teenagers living in ‘exurban ’ locations, where the city meets the countryside. It combines the results of a study on teenagers ’ mobility (Bachiri, 2006) with a physical analysis of Quebec City’s exurbia (Moretti & Vachon, 2005). Both studies were conducted by the Interdisciplinary Research Group on Suburbs (GIRBa_Groupe interdisciplinaire de recherche sur les banlieues). This qualitative research explores the link between urban sprawl and the mobility of 30 teenagers aged between 12 and 18, living in six exurban territories within the Quebec City metropolitan area. The results point to teenagers ’ strong dependency on being accompanied by their parent(s) or other significant adults to come and go in settings where, for the most, public transportation is absent or deficient, and where biking is often considered dangerous an