Profile

Email

id12500@uminho.pt

Science ID

DA15-135B-8D44

Ciênciavitae

ORCID

Lab2PT Group

SpaceR - Space and Representation

Scientific Area

Geografia Económica e Social

Supervision

Paula Cristina Almeida Cadima Remoaldo Hélder Tiago Silva Lopes

Project Title

Mobility strategies and their impacts on spatial segregation and residents' perceptions – a case study of the municipality of Barcelos

Abstract

One of the main challenges facing humanity is population growth. In terms of urban planning, this phenomenon is reflected, above all, in various forecasts pointing to a sharp rise in population by the end of this century and the consequent trend towards greater population concentration in urban areas. According to 2019 data from the United Nations (hereinafter referred to as the UN), the proportion of people living in urban areas is projected to rise to nearly 70% by 2050. The UN’s World Urbanisation Prospects 2025 states that urban areas are experiencing the highest population growth in the vast majority of countries. Furthermore, this report indicates that, by 2050, two-thirds of the projected increase in the world’s population will be concentrated in cities, amounting to approximately five billion people. The UN-Habitat World Cities Report 2022 puts the global proportion of people living in cities at around 68%. According to the World Bank (2023), 56% of the world’s population already lives in cities, with a forecast that 7 out of 10 people will live in urban areas in the future. Meanwhile, the European Commission, in a 2014 study, estimated that the proportion of the population living in these areas would reach 85% by 2100. This issue gives rise to a number of challenges for those responsible for urban planning. After all, with the pungent increase in the number of people living in urban areas, existing problems are becoming more acute, whilst new issues are emerging, which in turn require solutions. One such issue relates to mobility in urban areas. An essential element of daily life in societies, mobility – although it may be interpreted from different perspectives – is based on a fundamental premise. This is the ability of individuals, groups, goods or information to move between specific points, using physical or digital means (Metz, 2000; Litman, 2003; Teles, 2005). Within the field of urban planning, mobility represents a central pillar of territorial organisation, constituting a fundamental aspect. As such, and based on the premise of the capacity for movement, mobility—in the context of these processes and taking into account spatio-temporal conditions—seeks to make journeys more efficient, accessible, sustainable and safe. Thus, it can be understood that mobility can be defined as a concept that brings together various variables; given the purpose of this study, its integrative nature is particularly noteworthy, in that it ensures the connection between places within geographical space and, at the same time, guarantees that individuals are able to move about. In order to address emerging concerns within societies, the paradigm of urban planning has been undergoing profound transformations, reflecting societal and environmental changes resulting from human development. Consequently, certain issues, such as the need to tackle the climate emergency facing humanity, have led to specific measures being implemented within planning processes, so as to ensure that this situation can be mitigated, whilst not neglecting the importance of meeting the needs of the population. Taking these facts into account, it follows, therefore, that ideas embodied in concepts such as “sustainability” must be integrated into thinking about urban planning. As for mobility in urban contexts, the adoption of sustainability as one of its cornerstones is evident in the various approaches being taken. Urban planning has been placing increasing emphasis on reducing carbon emissions (the aforementioned contribution to mitigating the climate emergency), leading to the introduction of new mobility policies. Measures such as reducing the number of vehicles on the roads in these areas, greater investment in pedestrian routes, and even the introduction of new modes of transport, highlight a transformative revolution in the urban mobility paradigm, with a view to reducing pollution whilst simultaneously providing adequate services to the population. At the same time, those responsible for urban planning have gradually been placing the well-being of individuals at the heart of their work. Indeed, the social dimension has played a central role in the development of urban areas. Consequently, social issues have been given greater priority in these processes, with a view to resolving them. Nevertheless, and although considerable progress has already been made, social inequality remains one of the main scourges of contemporary societies. In this regard, it is therefore important to ask the following questions: how is social mobility linked to social inequality? To what extent might strategies for social mobility contribute negatively to situations of social inequality? To answer these questions, it is therefore crucial to frame our study through the lens of a theoretical concept: socio-spatial segregation. This process represents the way in which social inequalities are reflected in the use of urban space by the groups of individuals who inhabit it, according to their characteristics. Furthermore, this perspective views space as a place where social relations are expressed, but also where social inequalities materialise (and are reflected, precisely, in the way space is used). As mentioned initially, the phenomenon of population growth – and the consequent increase in urban populations – is currently a global one, and Portugal is no exception. Consequently, several cities across the country have undergone significant urbanisation over the past few decades. Bearing this in mind, and given that the author of this thesis is intimately familiar with and lives in close proximity to the reality of the municipality of Barcelos, we propose to define this territory as our area of study. Despite a number of advances in the area of mobility, the municipality of Barcelos remains a area where various difficulties persist, experienced on a daily basis by those who live in and visit its urban area. We believe it is important to analyse mobility strategies in these areas, in order to identify existing problems and propose possible solutions at different points in time. It should also be noted that, as this is a medium-sized Portuguese city, we are not, at this stage, aware of any studies that seek to analyse mobility in such contexts from a perspective that links it to social inequality. Moreover, and to complement these efforts, this research will seek to involve the people who live in and frequently visit these areas within the municipality of Barcelos, by selecting a representative sample of the population for a survey conducted via questionnaire and interviews. This involvement will enable a better understanding of residents’ perceptions regarding mobility strategies, adding another dimension to the research – namely, a democratic character that fosters active citizen participation – culminating in an analysis based on the establishment of an Advisory Council. Overall, this research aims to conduct an in-depth study of mobility strategies in the urban areas of the municipality of Barcelos, taking residents’ perceptions into account. We believe that this research plays an innovative role, in that it may lay the foundations for future analyses which can be replicated in other urban areas and which are capable of resolving the mobility issues experienced.

Keywords

Urban planning; Spatial mobility; Spatial segregation; Social inequality; Territorial development

Organic Unit

Institute of Social Sciences