IMPOSSIBLE COMMUTES TO WORK: Spatial Constraints to Social Mobility with Global Urbanization
As reported by the World Resources Institute (22 May 2019), longer and more time-consuming commutes to work are now the norm around the world. Yet most cities focus on transport supply (how many kilometers of roads or bus routes there are), or on transport efficiency (how many people travel on certain routes within a given period of time) rather than on what this transport actually enables people to do.
Emmanuel leaves his home at 5 a.m. every morning with his two daughters, for example, to take a mini-bus, or “tro-tro,”from their house in Awoshie, a residential neighborhood of Accra, Ghana, to the central business district where Emmanuel works. The trip usually costs $0.90 roundtrip, about 20% of the average daily wage in Accra, and takes well over an hour. When traffic is severe, the cost doubles. To save a bus ticket, Emmanuel sometimes puts one daughter in the other’s lap.
Emmanuel’s commute is becoming the norm for many urbanites, especially in developing cities in Asia, Africa and Latin America. A new WRI working paper finds that though cities are hotspots for jobs and other opportunities, many urbanites are finding it increasingly difficult to access these benefits. Access to jobs, healthcare, education and other opportunities are increasingly out of reach for millions of people.
Analysis of Mexico City and Johannesburg found that 56% and 42% of people, respectively, cannot easily get to jobs because of their location, limited transport options, or both. Many residents in these cities experience long and expensive commutes in often uncomfortable and unsafe vehicles through heavy traffic. Others have so few travel options or nearby opportunities they are essentially stranded. Accessibility is critical to quality of life and social mobility!
Source: World Resources Institute (22 May 2019)
