Brooklyn artist and technologist Justin Blinder has created Ground Truth, a bicycle-mounted device that makes pedalling harder in neighbourhoods where housing is less affordable. The project turns an economic measure into a physical experience, aiming to show how high living costs can make everyday life in cities feel more difficult and unequal.

Blinder developed the idea after being laid off in 2020 and delivering food by bicycle during the early pandemic, when he noticed sharp social and economic contrasts between nearby areas. The small box attaches to a Citi Bike’s front fork and uses GPS data, an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, a servo motor and the exposed drum-brake lever to vary resistance according to the local share of income spent on housing. More affordable areas make riding easier, while areas with greater housing-cost pressure increase the effort required.