Social implications of the infrastructure for urban mobility

Abstract

Introduction

Urban mobility is one of the most relevant social phenomena from the last few decades, mainly after the automobile has become the focal axis for city planning, which has caused important transformations in urbanity on a global scale.

Objective

The objective of this work is to perform a close revision of some particularities for the study of the social implications found in the creation of infrastructure for the urban mobility. It pretends to show some of the characteristics in which western cities have been planned in the modern era, and how this logic has promoted particular models of mass transportation and the triumph of the automobile. In addition, we address the impact that the city planning has had over non-motorized mobility, as well as the problems and opportunities that appear when mobility-designed infrastructure fails or becomes obsolete.

Method

The paper is a conceptual and theoretical approximation to the mobility phenomenon, and it intends to help position future empirical researches from the perspective of social sciences.

Results

As the main finding we have how sensitive it is to plan large-scale urban projects without taking in consideration the differentiated impacts they might have in the societies in which these projects are executed.

Conclusion

In the conclusions section the paper invites to think from an interdisciplinary and participatory focus the way in which mobility infrastructures are designed for the Costar Rican case.