Event Details

Every Tuesday 09.30 – 10.30, during term, we invite an academic to brief us on their research. The format is a 30 minute talk followed by discussion.

Please note that the talk will be in Spanish (with English translation), followed by a discussion in both English and Spanish.

Public transport allows the integration of different spaces in a region, decreasing social inequality. The city of Xalapa is categorised as a medium-sized city (more than 700,000 inhabitants), located in the eastern part of Mexico, capital of the State of Veracruz. Historically it has been important as a passage between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz. The city grew after 1960, due to the migration of people from the countryside. This population settled on the periphery of the city in a disorganised way due to the hilly topography. This presents several problems such as: the increase in waiting and travel times, low efficiency in the operation of public transport, which leads people to walk long distances and on slopes; or to use taxis, which adds to the use of private cars, causing congestion on the main roads and contributing to air pollution.

This talk will discuss four mobility scenarios based on the centralities of this region, and propose different routes to improve the connection between the central city and its periphery through an urban-regional analysis. The proposal consists of a multimodal system that includes a light train, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, and a cable car. The hypothesis is that it will reduce commuting times for the population to their workplaces or other activities, favour accessibility and promote the improvement of people's quality of life by using safe, comfortable and fast means of transport.

The theoretical basis of this research is based on the so-called "mobility turn" established by Sheller and Urry (2006), indicating the importance of incorporating the passenger's perception and experience, as well as incorporating social, economic and political aspects in urban mobility studies, in order to carry out a territorial analysis of the process.