Solutions-led perspectives on inclusive and sustainable mobilities: New pathways, fresh horizons

Second Annual Interactive Bi-weekly Webinar Series starts on 30th September 2021 at 2:00pm (UK time) on Zoom (then every second Thursday until 9th December 2021).

Problematizing transport-related social exclusion in global south cities has gained significant research and policy traction in recent years. On the ground solutions to meet the needs and address the concerns of affected populations are less well explored. This webinar series seeks to offer fresh insights on emergent practical approaches to facilitate the complex mobilities and accessibilities of low-income settlements and vulnerable populations as they intersect with transport and urban planning, socio-economic inequalities, informalities and sustainability transitions. Drawing on diverse and vibrant perspectives and experience, the webinar series seeks to reflect on opportunities for transformation:

SESSION 6: Thursday 9th December 2021 at 2:00pm (UK time) 
Future actions for bridging the gap between policy and practice
Panel chaired by Fiona Raje, Manchester Metropolitan University and Juan Antonio Carrasco, Universidad de Concepcion / CEDEUS

This webinar concludes the series. It takes a different approach to the previous webinars. The session will begin with brief practitioner insights to provide a snapshot of projects across the geographical spectrum which demonstrate action for mobility and accessibility on the ground. This will be followed by a panel discussion on bridging the gap between policy and practice.

The overall aim is to provide an exciting mix of examples and sharing of knowledge which will illustrate how people are working to meet the complexities of urban living by adopting innovative solutions to transport and travel challenges of vulnerable populations. The panel session will harness experienced practitioners’ understandings to inform better and new ways of developing and implementing citizen-centric solutions.

Webinar participants are invited to submit questions for the panel before the session. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions on the day.

We recognise that a long period of physical distancing may have constrained many opportunities for grassroots action in our partner countries; however, it has also provided space to reflect and consider different possibilities for recalibrating our approaches to participation, accessibility and sustainable mobilities. This webinar series will bring together and build upon our ever growing networks, providing researchers, policymakers, planners and activists with opportunities to seek collaborative, inter-disciplinary, inter-sector solutions.

SESSION 1: Thursday 30th September 2021 at 2:00pm (UK time)
New perspectives from emerging landscapes
Moderator: Regina Amoako-Sakyi, University of Cape Coast
Discussant: Samuel Owusu, University of Cape Coast

The first session in the series highlights the work of INTALInC partners working in locations the network has not yet fully explored. As INTALInC continues to expand its membership and activities globally, we have exciting new opportunities to broaden understandings of transport and accessibility for low-income communities in Chile, India and the Caribbean. In particular, the session will focus on the work of Fiona Rajé (Manchester Metropolitan University), Ajay Bailey (University of Utrecht), and Juan Carrasco and Alejandra Rasse (CEDEUS/Universidad de Concepción) who will present ‘Just beyond paradise…’; ‘Inclusive cities through equitable access to urban mobility infrastructures for India and Bangladesh’; and ‘CEDEUS urban laboratories: Refocusing urban accessibility on a microscale’. While we do not seek to create blueprints, the session aims to understand some of the cross-contextual commonalities and differences, which might provoke transferrable solutions to meet the mobility and accessibility needs of the poorest and most vulnerable populations worldwide.

SESSION 2: Thursday 14th October 2021 at 2:00pm (UK time)
Practitioner perspectives: ‘Inclusifying’ urban transport
Moderator: Daniel Oviedo, INTALInC LAC and University College, London
Discussant: Jim Walker, Walk21

The second webinar of this year’s INTALInC series engages with the experiences of practitioners working towards the inclusion of specific groups into transport policy and decision-making with an emphasis on walking and active travel. This session will explore experiences from stakeholders in the public sector, academia, and advocacy organisations in Latin America, Africa, and Europe, working towards improving conditions for children, people with disabilities, and women. The session will be structured around the challenges and learnings for identifying and diagnosing specific problems, citizen engagement processes, mobilising funding, leadership for change, and scaling up.

Disability innovation in accessible transport
Vicki Austin, CEO of GDI Hub CIC
Kids First Programme – Walking and cycling to school
Luisa Rubio, Kids First Manager, Mobility Secretariat of Bogotá
How do we design more inclusive transport systems and streets?
Lorraine D’Arcy, Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Transport and Mobility, TU Dublin

SESSION 3: Thursday 28th October 2021 at 2:00pm (UK time)
Participative solutions in urban transport planning
Moderator: Steve Cinderby, Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York
Discussant: Constant Capp, Code for Africa

Inclusion means empowering all people to participate in and benefit from transport. It encompasses transport policies that promote equality and non-discrimination by improving access and mobility of all people, including the poor and disadvantaged, to essential services such as education and health. It also embraces action to remove barriers against those who are often excluded from the transport planning process, such as women, children, persons with disabilities, youth and minorities, and to ensure that the voice of all can be heard.

This seminar will explore promising approaches aimed at overcoming exclusion in East African urban transport planning showcasing key methodological innovations. The seminar will present three case studies: Accessibility and mobility interventions in informal settlements (Slum Dwellers International); Creative methods to widen transport planning inclusion in Nairobi and Kampala (Cassilde Muhoza and Romanus Opiyo, SEI-Africa); On-street engagement in Lusaka and Kampala (Amanda Ngabirano, Makere University and Daniel Mwamba, Zambia Road Safety Trust). Presentations will discuss the benefits of widening inclusion on urban transport systems robustness and resilience outcomes.

SESSION 4: Digital futures and the role of technologies
Digital futures and the role of technologies
Moderator: Tim Schwanen, Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford

This webinar will consider how the rise of digital technologies, such as online platforms to match demand and supply of transport, affects the everyday mobility and livelihoods of low income individuals and communities across the planet. It will consist of two presentations and an animation film, followed by Q&A and discussion. Presentations discuss ‘The role of digitisation of mobility in the Global South’ (Carly Gilbert-Patrick, Sustainable Mobility Unit, United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi); and ‘Comparative analysis of the E-hailing mobility services in selected cities in West and East Africa’ (Samuel Odewumi, Lagos State University); and the animation film ‘For Mahesh: The daily challenges facing India’s auto-rickshaw drivers’ (Lucy Baker, Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford)

SESSION 5: Thursday 25th November 2021 at 2:00pm (UK time) 
Spatial planning and integrated transport development
Moderator: Tanu Priya-Uteng, Norwegian Centre for Transport Research
Discussant: Julia Nebrija, Agile City Partners

There has been an increased focus on spatial planning and integrated planning development (SPITD) in the last decade but despite these efforts, it is difficult to comment on the success of  this approach if we shift our gaze to consider who actually benefits. There are multiple cases across the globe which highlight how both inequality and residential segregation has increased in light of gentrification which is often triggered by transport solutions like provision of cycling lanes, development of transit nodes (TOD approach) etc. In this webinar, we are interested in unpacking if, how and for whom is SPITD leading to changed urban mobility patterns? Which types of trips are becoming more sustainable, and adopting sustainable mobility modes? How does such adoption vary by population groups or neighbourhoods? Is SPITD leading to diminishing or increasing inequalities? What policies, strategies and actions for SPITD can cater to economic, efficient and equitable outcomes – to improve spatial accessibility while avoiding social fragmentation and inequality? We would also like to highlight overlaps between spatial and temporal segregations due to SPITD. Topics like school, workplace segregation and leisure time segregation present interesting departure points (Bernelius et al. 2021; Delmelle et al. 2021; Silm et al. 2021; Tammaru et al. 2021). Further, what kind of futures are we looking at for SPITD, in light of altered life patterns due to Covid-19, 15-minutes city approach, increased focus on densification, digitalization, new methods, planning processes etc., will also be discussed.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this: