Transportation

Infrastructure and environmental justice in the city

Transport and infrastructure remain key components when designing urban space. Urban planners are required to evaluate transport routes, modes, and costs, to ensure the city functions efficiently. Across Tanzania key means of public transportation in, and around, the city includes boda-boda's, or piki-piki's, (motorcycles) and daladala's (small buses). Such means are cheap, frequent, and although carrying capacity is limited, space can be made to squeeze another passenger on. However, with rising concerns over road safety, the costs of congestion, and the need for improved supply, the future of such transportation remains debatable. As the agenda shifts to designing 'sustainable cities', whereby urban environments can meet contemporary needs without jeopardizing that of future generations, we need to question what it means in the developing world. The concept of environmental justice is key. Discussions on environmental justice integrate calls for sustainability and recognition of the social, spatial, and economic, inequalities individuals face in relation to the environment . Environmental justice recognises the urban environment as political. Access, externalities, and use-value, of the environment are political. Read more.

Submitted by Gemma Todd — Wed, 03/19/2014 - 13:04

¡Ya basta!

En la entrada anterior, comentábamos acerca de las importantes áreas de oportunidad que no han sido abordados por las diferentes administraciones del Gobierno del Distrito Federal (GDF), al menos, los últimos 20 años. En este sentido, la falta de planeación urbana se hace cada vez más visible y sobretodo, palpable. Los tiempos de recorrido son preocupantes, y muestra de ello, es el índice que señalamos que generó IBM (Commuter Pain Index) donde pone a la ciudad de México como la ciudad "que más se sufre" a nivel mundial. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Thu, 03/13/2014 - 16:23

É mais do que 20 centavos

Ano passado, o mundo viu uma transformação no Brasil com os jovens indo às ruas pedindo por novas medidas para as questões de mobilidade no país. Após uma violenta resposta policial nos primeiros dias de manifestações, a causa ganhou mais força em todo o país. A frase "Não é pelos 20 centavos" ficou famosa e foi usada para representar angústia e desejo dos jovens por novas soluções — mais sustentáveis e sociais (em mobilidade, na política, na econômica, etc). As reivindicações eram muito mais profundas do que o aumento de 20 centavos da passagem. As manifestações, porém, aconteceram há mais de 6 meses e o que mudou no Brasil — principalmente no que se refere a mobilidade? Leia mais.

Submitted by Carla Link — Tue, 02/25/2014 - 10:55

La Ciudad de México, una capital sin una visión de mediano y largo plazo

La Ciudad de México es por excelencia, el centro político-económico del país. Es en éste donde se dan la toma de decisiones más importantes, donde se encuentran los poderes de la unión y donde se ubica el centro financiero de México. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Sat, 02/22/2014 - 16:15

Is Walkability Only About Mobility?

Walkability and green spaces are not the same thing, but it feels as if they ought to be related somehow. This is because walkability in its most basic form is more than some version of "is possible to walk there", but also "is possible and pleasant to walk there." Or is it? One published definition of walkability, for example, is: "The extent to which the built environment is friendly to the presence of people living, shopping, visiting, enjoying or spending time in an area." (from Walkability Scoping Paper, 2005). All the action is in the word "friendly", and there's a lot of unpacking to do. Read more.

Submitted by David Maddox — Fri, 11/08/2013 - 12:17

Mumbai's children risk life and limb on their walk to school

Mumbai's streets are a scary battleground. Rickshaws nudge ahead of beastly city buses; cows wander aimlessly through jams of oversized cars; and pedestrians push across busy intersections in droves, hoping the power in numbers will help them reach the other side safely. Everyone is vulnerable in this situation, but no one more than the thousands of school children who walk to school, often in the streets, in the absence of school buses and navigable sidewalks. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 11/04/2013 - 00:00

Considerações sobre a cultura verde e de acessibilidade de Curitiba

O fato que Curitiba seja reconhecida como uma cidade verde, acessível e organizada não é um resultado improvisado, mais é resultado de uma cultura sólida de planejamento urbano e da liderança de suas administrações. Apresentamos alguns dos motivos que ajudam a explicar aquela boa reputação de Curitiba especialmente sobre por que é verde, acessível e "humana"; também apresentamos alguns dos desafios que enfrenta na matéria. Leia mais o discutir.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 11/04/2013 - 00:00

Lanes and livelihoods: New cycling and pedestrian (NMT) infrastructure in Johannesburg

Travel in South Africa, and Southern Africa in general, is highly skewed by economic means. It is dominated by walking (often great distances on poor quality footpaths) and by public transport, primarily among the poor. In Johannesburg, the situation is exacerbated by the marginalisation created by historic spatial planning and the sprawling, low-density nature of the city. According to the City of Johannesburg's Department of Transport, urbanisation and urban poverty require not only urban transport solutions but also low-cost modes of travel such as cycling. This strategy, known as "Non-Motorised Transport" or NMT, over recent years has gradually become a priority area at National, Provincial and Local Government levels, resulting in the City of Johannesburg's Framework for NMT in 2009. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Tariq Toffa — Mon, 11/04/2013 - 00:00

Bulevar del Rio: Devolviendo al peatón un lugar en la ciudad

Desde mediados del siglo XX Cali ha experimentado un crecimiento muy significativo. La población que en 1951 era de 284.000 personas, pasó a 1.400.000 en 1991, y a 2.3200.000 en el 2013. El antiguo dentro histórico se ha visto rodeado por una sucesión de hasta 22 comunas en una extensión de 120.000 km2. La creciente necesidad de traslados dentro de la ciudad, y la ausencia de un sistema de transporte masivo, resultaron en un crecimiento explosivo en el número de vehículos circulando por la ciudad, y que en el último censo publicado, con datos del 2011, superaban ya el medio millón. Para acomodar todo este tráfico rodado, los sucesivos gobiernos municipales buscaron ampliar las calzadas y crearon vías rápidas, desplazando al peatón a un segundo lugar. Como consecuencia de todas estas dinámicas, Cali se convirtió en una ciudad sumamente congestionada, difícil y peligrosa para los peatones y ciclistas, y con un considerable déficit de espacios públicos. Leer más o discutir.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 11/04/2013 - 00:00

Putting pedestrians first

In 2004, an estimated 5,000 lives were lost from road crashes on Nigerian motorways. This number more than tripled in 2006, with an estimated 16,000 people killed as a result of road crashes. Low awareness of road safety among road users (pedestrians and motorists), and poor road conditions are some critical factors responsible for these avoidable fatalities. The city of Lagos is crawling with millions of people, the majority of whom travel on foot. Recently, there has been more emphasis on keeping city pedestrians safe from harm's way by improving road safety rules and infrastructure. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Wura — Mon, 11/04/2013 - 00:00

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