This Art Project Slows Down Citi Bikes to Make NYC’s Rent Crisis Feel Real
Brooklyn artist Justin Blinder has created Ground Truth, an art project that makes a modified Citi Bike harder to pedal in New York areas with higher levels of rent insecurity. The work aims to turn housing-affordability data into a physical experience, highlighting how sharply economic conditions can differ between nearby blocks.
The device uses GPS and US Census Bureau American Community Survey data to identify neighbourhoods where more households spend over 30 per cent of their income on rent, then activates the front brake to increase resistance. Blinder received a $10,000 grant from Idle Hands and has ridden about 35 miles while filming the project; it is not intended as a public product. He also links the work to Citi Bike’s rising prices, which have increased for five consecutive years.
- Art device makes bikes harder to ride in rent-burdened areas.
- It converts housing data into a tactile experience.
- The project also highlights rising Citi Bike costs.