Urban Mobility And Social Equity In Latin America

This volume of Transport and Sustainability focuses on how spatial and social mobilities are intertwined in the reproduction of spatial and social inequities in Latin American cities.

Urban Planning for Social Justice in Latin America explores how urban planning can be used as a tool for social equity. The book examines several Latin American cities, each with specific challenges, and explores how they have gradually overcome these difficulties through policies, planning, and design, and with private/public sector coordination. The cases include: The built environment and social mobility in Bogotá; Mexico City and its difficulties with water scarcity; Addressing air quality and environmental justice in Lima; Santiago de Chile’s energy consumption and carbon footprint; Buenos Aires and the issue of urban agriculture and food security; Connectivity as a social transformation device in Medellín. The book goes beyond simply identifying the challenges and explains some of the practical day-to-day planning efforts, including interviews with staff from those municipalities, illustrations, and strategies that have been successful. As a result, this book will be helpful to planners in the region, as well as outside Latin America, because it demonstrates how fruitful results can be achieved in areas typically perceived as underdeveloped. Although based on research and data, this book offers a positive perspective on the possibilities rather than the limitations, hoping to inspire new generations of planners to pursue careers in search of social change.

This book highlights current concepts of Social Urbanism, the contemporary set of multiple and interdisciplinary urban studies that have emerged mainly from the complex realities of Latin American cities. The discussion that follows places special emphasis on public land policy and the innovative urban instruments developed in that region to promote social and territorial inclusion. Critical reflections throughout the pages of this book shed light into the local context of each case-study in order to understand their specific set of challenges and opportunities. Relevant lessons are extracted from the three cities here analyzed, the medium-scale city of Medellin, the large-scale city of Bogota, and the megacity of Sao Paulo, as well as from local innovative experiences in Argentina and Uruguay. These cities underwent promising transformation processes over two decades, applying planning and financing instruments of land policy which have produced significant shifts in the urban development paradigm in the region. The quest for social inclusion has emerged as the common denominator in these cities, awakening growing interest across several fields of urban studies, from public policies and city management to urban law, city financing, urban development, and innovative community participation processes. The book brings implications on urban land policy for transition cities in the Global South. The question of social inclusion in Global South cities is however far from being solved; the analysis presented in this book shows advances and hope, besides a long path still ahead, which can only be faced through a continuous and challenging incremental process. May this book be an incremental step.

Social Issues in Transport Planning, Volume 8 in the Advances in Transport Policy and Planning series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters. Each chapter is written by an international board of authors. Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors Presents the latest release in the Advances in Transport Policy and Planning series

Most cities of the Latin America and the Caribbean region face similar problems, including low quality public transport supply, lack of planning, congestion, and both atmospheric and noise pollution. As a response to these growing concerns, many governments are implementing actions aimed at encouraging the use of more sustainable transport modes and reducing transport dependence on the private car. Despite the advances gained through the implementation of these and other policies in LAC, there is still a long way to go, especially in the promotion of seamless transport systems at the city level, the achievement of financial sustainability, as well as the improvement of urban air quality. This study identifies a number of best practices for overcoming or working around these challenges.

Policy innovations are needed to break the vicious cycle in urban transport in LAC. The ultimate objective should be reliable, efficient, high-quality, and sustainable urban transport. The study describes urban transport policies implemented in the region, highlighting tangible impacts whenever possible, and opportunities to improve urban transport policy. A two-pronged approach is suggested, based on (i) service-oriented policies in addition to the more common asset-oriented policies; and (ii) integrated policies that address public and private transport simultaneously, incorporating dimensions such as congestion pricing and land-use management.

With social inequity in urban spaces becoming an increasing concern in our modern world, The Elgar Companion to Transport, Space and Equity explores the relationships between transport and social equity. Transport systems and infrastructure investment can lead to inequitable travel behaviours, with certain socio-demographic groups using particular parts of the transport system and accessing particular activities and opportunities.

Latin America is one of the most urbanized regions of the world. To understand Latin America today it is important to trace the origins and characteristics of the urban-rural divide, inequalities within urban areas, and the prospects for change. This is particularly important and timely given the challenges of widening environmental and social disparities, climate change, and climate justice. The authors critically analyze urban issues within the context of the national and regional political economy, neoliberal governance, and urban social movements. Latin America’s cities are sharply divided into wealthy enclaves and large peripheral areas, reflecting deep social and economic inequalities, leading to notable movements and reforms. This text explores Latin American cities, their history, similarities and differences, and current problems.

This FAL Bulletin analyses the mobility and gender policies being implemented in a group of Latin American cities, and highlights the gender considerations that contribute to a more sustainable urban mobility policy.