C MOBILITY H T E R XCLUSION CHANCE S N C R I L S P O U O …...Mr. Todd Litman, Victoria Transport...

Commission 4 „Urban Mobility Management“

Mobility and Social Cohesion

Documentation of the Meeting of Commission 4 in Toronto,

15 June 2006

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Commission 4: Urban Mobility Management Documentation of the Meeting on Mobility and Social Cohesion Toronto, Canada, 15 June 2006

Metropolis 2006

Commission 4: Urban Mobility Management

Mobility and Social Cohesion

Documentation of the Meeting of Commission 4 in Toronto,

15 June 2005

Issued in September 2006


Metropolis Commission 4

Presidency Berlin: Ingeborg Junge-Reyer Senator for Urban Development, Berlin

Vice Presidency Seoul: Sangdon Kim Director General of Transportation

Cities: Barcelona, Belo Horizonte, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Dakar, Esfahan, Hangzhou, Istanbul, Kinshasa, Manchester, Mashhad, Mexico, Moscow, Porto Alegre, Puebla de Zaragoza, Seoul, Sofia, Stockholm, Tehran

Berlin Working Group in the Senate Department for Urban Development: Cornelia Poczka Dr. Friedemann Kunst Lutz Paproth Eva Maria Forler

Authors: Dipl.-Ing. Diana Runge Dipl.-Ing. Hans-Joachim Becker Technical University Berlin, Department for Integrated Transport Planning

Metropolis: Secretariat General Ajuntament de Barcelona Avinyó, 15 08002 Barcelona (Spain) www.metropolis.org


1

Programme

Morning Session: Mobility and Social Cohesion

9.00

Welcoming Speech: “Individual Mobility, Cohesive Living: the Contribution of Transport to Urban Life”

Mrs. Ingeborg Junge-Reyer, Senator of Urban Development, Berlin, Presidency C4, Berlin

9:30

Bus System Reform and Social Cohesion

Mr. Kookjun Ma , Seoul Metropolitan Government, Representative of Vice Presidency C4,

Seoul

10:00 Improving Mobility, Reducing Poverty

Mr. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, Mayor of Kolkata

10:30 Cities Connect

Mr. Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Canada

11:00 Networking Break

11:20

Mayors’ round table discussion

“The wants and needs of public transport users: Paying respect to urban mobility’s many faces”

Moderator: Mr. Christoph von Marschall, Journalist

Participants:

Mrs. Margareta Olofsson, Vice Mayor of Stockholm

Mr. Seyed Hashem Bani Hashemi Chaharom, Mayor of Mashhad

Mr. Enrique Doger Guerrero, Mayor of Puebla de Zaragoza

Mr. Patrick Xavier Ramiaramanana, Mayor of Antananarivo

Mr. Brian Ashton, Councillor of the City of Toronto

Mr. Pierre Amondji Djedji; Governor of the District of Abidjan

Mr. Francisco Sanchez Perdomo, Secretary of the Provincial Assembly of the City of La

Habana

Open discussion

13:00 Lunch


2

Afternoon Session: Gender, Transport and Equality of Chances

14:30 It’s a women’s world: Issues from the Metropolis Network.

Mrs. Francine Senécal, Co- President of Metropolis International Women Network, Montreal

15:00 Gender Issues in Transportation . Applying an Integrated Perspective.

Mrs. Deike Peters, Centre for Metropolitan Studies Berlin

15:30 Networking Break

15:45

Moderated panel discussion.

“Gender sensitive transport planning - moving from case studies to everyday practice”


Mrs. Junge-Reyer, Presidency C4, Senator of Urban Development, Berlin.

Mrs. Salimatou Keita Diawara, Bamako


Mrs. Rita Rachele Dandavino, Co-ordinator Metropolis International Women Network,

Montreal

Mr. Mohammad Reza Kheirabadi, Deputy of Traffic and Transportation, Municipality of

Mashhad

Open discussion

17:00 Closing Remarks

Mrs. Ingeborg Junge-Reyer, Senator of Urban Development, Berlin, Presidency C4, Berlin

17:10

Résumé and Outlook

Rapporteurs:

Mrs. Diana Runge, TU Berlin

Mr. Hans-Joachim Becker, TU Berlin

17:30 End of day


Morning Session: Mobility and Social Cohesion 3

Morning Session: Mobility and Social Cohesion

Ingeborg Junge-Reyer, Senator for Urban Development, Berlin

Welcoming Speech: “Individual Mobility, Cohesive Living: the Contribution of Transport to Urban Life”

In her welcoming speech, Mrs. Junge-

Reyer appreciated the ongoing interest of

the member cities of Metropolis, and

especially of Commission 4, in maintaining

the dialogue on urban mobility. She also

thanked the city of Toronto for giving the

Commission the opportunity to meet there

and continue with its valuable exchange of

knowledge and the sharing of experiences.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer commenced her speech by recapturing the past meetings of the

Commission in Paris 2004 and in Berlin 2005 which had prepared the ground for the present

session on Mobility and Social Cohesion.

She recalled that in the course of the Paris meeting, concerns had been raised regarding the

risk of a splitting up of the urban society into people who can afford living a life of high

mobility and those who cannot. After exploring the subject further in the Commission’s

Report on “Safeguarding Mobility – Transforming Transportation”, during the 8th World

Congress of Metropolis in Berlin, the Commission adopted the Declaration on Sustainable

Urban Mobility Management which stated the following with regard to social cohesion:

“We acknowledge the importance of mobility for granting access and the possibility to

participate in urban life for all citizens. We therefore attempt to establish transportation

systems that include the needs of all groups of the population, especially the less affluent,

the young, the elderly, and the disabled. Particular attention also needs to be paid to gender

issues, since we respect the different needs and demands arising from different gender

contexts, and we are determined to give adequate consideration to this issue. We will thus

aim at developing and implementing appropriate measures and control mechanisms to grant

equal access for all.”

In order to make the subject of the conference more tangible, Mrs. Junge-Reyer shared with

the participants her understanding of social cohesion in a city and the part of transport in it:



“A cohesive urban society implies a sense of belonging by all those living in a city. However,

it is fair to say the range of choices open to people is largely subject to their respective

background in terms of knowledge, skills, learning, creative minds in science, etc. In a

cohesive society, efforts should be made to enable all of its citizens to take advantage of

opportunities and to fulfil their own potential. In other words: ‘participation’ in economic,

social, cultural, educational and all other domains of public life that are considered to be

necessary and ‘normal’. In order to participate in urban life, people need to be mobile.”

Mrs. Junge-Reyer quoted from a study by the British Social Exclusion Unit which outlined the

negative impacts that inadequate transport might have on the job prospects, education and

health care of individuals and groups, even in highly developed countries. She also

emphasised that in countries with lower economic standards, reduced mobility can generate

precarious conditions. Income poverty, she concluded, must therefore not be equal to

transport poverty.

In the light of these issues, it must be realised that the so-called standard transport user does

not exist. Mrs. Junge-Reyer illustrated this notion further by introducing Gender and Urban

Mobility as the second main area of interest for the present session of the Commission.

Mobility and transport show a considerable imbalance as to gender, what is evident in

different roles men and women play in society. Social roles are still greatly assigned

according to traditional patterns. Differences in mobility patterns arise for example from the

fact that women travel shorter distances for different purposes and more often by public or

non-motorised transport. Safe travel conditions are thus central to women, who are more

vulnerable to attacks, harassment and violence.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer claimed that it is therefore critically important for the provision of transport

services to overcome gender bias in all its spheres. The key to this is to start by creating

awareness and ensuring equal participation of men and women. Second, by initiating

necessary schemes, such as adequate routing, timing and servicing in accordance with

respective needs. Experience shows such efforts will benefit all the users, not just women.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer closed her speech with outlining the framework conditions that determine

the inclusion of social objectives into transport planning in the city of Berlin. Most important,

the severe financial situation of the city causes a pressing need to reduce the costs of

transportation and to lower public subsidies. However, this needs to be done without cutting

back on services or reliability, comfort and available use of public transport for the Berliners

out of which 50 per cent do not own a car. Additionally, overcoming the still prevailing

differences in travel times for people in the East and the West was seen by Mrs. Junge-

Reyer as a prerequisite to providing for the inclusion of all citizens in the city.



The speech was closed with an optimistic outlook, stating the overriding objective of Berlin’s

mobility policy: “…to enable all of our inhabitants to be mobile. Just like other cities, Berlin is

still in the process of re-shaping its transport and related policies in order to keep transport

sustainable – also from a social point of view – and to even improve it.”

Mr. Kookjun Ma, Seoul Metropolitan Government

Bus System Reform and Social Cohesion

Mr. Kookjun Ma launched his presentation with a general overview of the Seoul Metropolitan

Area. Seoul is home to about 10 million people and constitutes, together with Tokyo, Beijing

and Shanghai, the economic centre of Northeast Asia. It can thus draw on high quality

human resources.

The transport system in Seoul is comprised of private cars, taxis, subways and buses. The

latter two take up a modal share of about 63 per cent, which highlights the importance of

adequate public transport provision for the majority of Seoul’s inhabitants.

After this brief introduction, Mr. Ma explained the “Concept of the Weak”, i.e. the way

deprived groups in Seoul are identified and characterised in order to take their needs into

account. According to this concept, the weak are a heterogeneous group that includes the

disabled, the elderly and children, all of which show signs of reduced mobility. Additionally,

low-income groups were identified by Mr. Ma as “non-choice or captured users”, i.e. those

that have no other transport options and totally rely on public transport. All together, about 30

per cent of the population of Seoul belongs to the group of the weak.

The differences in travel behaviour were then outlined by Mr. Ma with regard to the modal

choices of the different age groups. He showed that while children and young people mainly

use the subway and, once they enter adulthood, the private car, the elderly predominantly

use the bus. Because of the high urban density of Seoul, the bus appears to be a very useful

transport mode. Therefore, transforming the bus system to cater for the city’s mobility needs

is of major importance.

The Seoul Bus Policy Reform, which had commenced in 2004, thus had three main

objectives: safety, convenience and speed. Mr. Ma stated that social cohesion objectives had

also been addressed which he illustrated through the following examples.

In the course of the reform, a distance based fare system had been introduced, which also

allows for free transfer between modes in order to cater for intermodality and accessibility of

all areas. Also, a Smart Card System had been introduced. The so-called T-Money Cards



are multi-functional, i.e. apart from the transit system they can also be used in banks,

restaurants, leisure facilities, for medical services, etc. Additionally, the cards allow for the

collection of demand data on boarding times, stations, distances travelled, fares, used

modes, etc. The data is fed into the also newly developed Bus Management System (BMS),

providing a demand analysis, which allows for adjustments to the bus routing and scheduling

according to actual service demands.

According to Mr. Ma, the new system allows for higher mobility of people because it offers

more choices, decreases travel times, increases accessibility and reduces travel costs.

Mr. Ma then gave some details on the changes to the bus system. For example, the bus lines

had been subdivided into trunk lines, which are direct connections using an exclusive median

lane, and feeder lines that connect the trunk lines and the subway. The bus system is

organised in a semi-public manner. This means that while private carriers operate the

system, the government ensures that non-profitable lines are also being serviced. Therefore,

subsidies and financial aid for deficiently operating lines are a major issue.

The success of the policy reform can be traced along the line of costumer satisfaction.

Seoul’s long-term transport client survey showed that immediately after the initiation of the

new system, satisfaction decreased. According to Mr. Ma this was because people had been

confused with the new system and were initially not pleased with the changes. However, this

phase only lasted a brief period of time. About four months after the system reform, the

system started to gain the costumer’s approval, and now about 86 per cent of the bus users

show high levels of satisfaction.

Apart from organisational and infrastructural alterations, buses from the old fleet were

remodelled, and low-floor buses were introduced. Additionally, elevators, escalators, wheel-

chair lifts in subway stations and safety doors in trains have also been installed.

Relating these measures back to the Concept of the Weak, Mr. Ma then outlined how the

actions taken benefit some of the relevant groups. For example, children and their

accompanying persons ride on trains and subways free of charge, and so do the elderly and

the disabled. These measures are financed by city subsidies that amount to about 158

million US-Dollars annually. Shuttle buses and free-call taxis are also provided for servicing

those with physical mobility restrictions.

The discussion following Mr. Ma’s presentation was initiated with a question on how the

walking trips, which are an inevitable part of every public transport trip, are being addressed

in the transport policy of Seoul. Mr. Ma pointed out that the walking distance to public

transport stations in Seoul should not exceed 500 metres. However, walking is not popular



with the costumers. As a consequence, the city would like to further reduce the walking

distances especially to stops of the feeder bus lines, which will then provide a “semi door-to-

door service”. But then again, this turns out to be an expensive undertaking, and the

efficiency of the measure has to be balanced carefully against the achieved costumer

convenience. Additionally, in order to improve the popularity of walking, the city government

strives to make streets more walkable, for example by barrier-free design.

Furthermore, Mr. Ma replied to a question on whether or not the improved bus system

succeeded in reducing the share of private car trips. He outlined that people who live near

the trunk lines of the bus system reduced car use by 15 per cent. However, in areas without

bus priority lanes, car use has only been reduced by about 2-3 per cent. Thus, Seoul

Metropolitan Government strives to introduce more priority lanes for buses in order to

encourage public transport use.

Mr. Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya; Mayor, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC)

Improving Mobility, Reducing Poverty

Mr. Bhattacharya initiated his presentation with first outlining

some of the basic considerations that need to be taken into

account when addressing the subject of urban poverty and

transportation.

For example, the city of Kolkata draws on a new paradigm to

conceptualise mobility. This paradigm includes various

dimensions ranging from travel times and cost- and

environmental issues to matters of access and comfort.

Regarding the question of how to define the urban poor, Mr.

Bhattacharya showed that solely applying economic

parameters, like earnings of less than 9 US$ per day, is

insufficient to capture the complexity of urban poverty. He therefore suggested a wide range

of non-economic parameters to be used for the purpose of capturing the various dimensions

of poverty in Kolkata. These include housing conditions, availability of and access to basic

facilities such as clean water, electricity and sanitation, employment status and educational

levels of parents as well as the status of children (working, at school, etc.).

These parameters also define the problems faced by the urban poor with regard to mobility.

According to Mr. Bhattacharya, improving mobility for the poor results in the decrease of



slums in urban areas, the increase of job opportunities, less conveyance expenditure and

better living conditions.

After these conceptual reflections, Mr. Bhattacharya focused on the concrete situation in the

city of Kolkata.

Apart from the actual population of 4.5 million, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation also has to

cater for the needs of an additional 5.5 million “floating population”, i.e. people that commute

every day from the surrounding areas into the city to work and conduct business there. So in

fact, transportation has to be provided for about 10 million people daily.

Mr. Bhattacharya then came back to the living conditions of the poor. About 35 per cent of

the Kolkata population lives in slums. These are scattered around the urban area and are

often located in close proximity to new office or leisure developments. Because of this mix,

land use planning and zoning are difficult. The poor are often highly mobile, and most of their

travel demand is work related.

80 per cent of all travel in Kolkata is carried out by public transport, e.g. by suburban,

circular, and metro railways, on trams, on ferries crossing the river Hooghly, as well as by

means of road-bound transportation, such as private and state run buses and minibuses,

taxis and shared three-wheelers (auto-rickshaws used by more than one passenger). Apart

from the large share of public transport, air pollution generated by the transport sector is a

major problem in Kolkata. Additionally, high accident rates, particularly of pedestrians and

cyclists, are of foremost concern to the city and the Provincial Government. Infrastructural,

technical and organisational shortcomings challenge the transport system in the city. With

regard to this, Mr. Bhattacharya emphasised that the lack of long-term transport policy and

planning in Kolkata, which results in lengthy decision making processes and the

development of “largely firefighting”, i.e. emergency and short term measures, does not allow

for comprehensively addressing and solving Kolkata’s transport problems.

Recently, a new Master Plan for Traffic and Transportation has been drafted, which is

supposed to improve planning, to co-ordinate and implement new transport projects and

thereby to reduce costs.

Regarding the reduction of poverty through improved mobility, Mr. Bhattacharya presented

four recent examples from Kolkata.

First, the Nonadanga Resettlement, where the resettlement of 1,266 slum dwellers was

coupled with the improvement of transport facilities, which resulted in the improvement of the

economic status of those families.



Second, Mr. Bhattacharya showed the improvements that had been achieved in Birati, a

location about 15 km outside the city centre. There, the installation of bus routes and waiting

areas led to noticeable improvements of the area as a whole within a year, small businesses

have developed due to improved access, and particularly young people now find it easier to

travel to Kolkata for education, employment and training. An interesting side effect with

impacts on local economic conditions also appeared when the bus stand itself has developed

into a commercial area, leading to more integrated development.

The third example provided again an example of slum resettlement, this time on an even

larger scale. At present, it is planned to resettle about 5,500 slum dwellers from areas within

the inner city and provide housing for them in the periphery of the city with increased access

to transportation from the resettlement area. Furthermore, schools and other amenities are to

be provided in the resettlement area, and the inner city areas thus made available will be

used for urban renewal projects.

Lastly, Mr. Bhattacharya referred to a somewhat specific problem of developing cities,

namely that of hawkers and outdoor vendors that crowd footpaths and roads in the city, thus

causing traffic obstructions and generating safety problems. In order to solve these problems

and allow those vendors to maintain their economic basis of existence, trade is to be re-

organised and spaces are to be provided for markets and outdoor trade areas. While, strictly

speaking, this is not a transport project, it does have both a transportation and poverty

alleviation component.

Mr. Todd Litman; Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Cities Connect

Mr. Litman initiated his speech by pointing out that cities

create social and economic value by connecting people and

activities. These connections are particularly important for

people who are physically, economically or socially

disadvantaged. He stated that by increasing social and

economic opportunities for these people, cities help to

achieve social inclusion.

He then mentioned that the term social inclusion is not widely

used in North America, rather the term “providing basic

mobility” is known, which refers to physical travel that

provides basic access, i.e. to emergency services, healthcare



or basic food and clothing.

Mr. Litman outlined that currently two important paradigm shifts are taking place in

transportation planning, which change the way (transport) problems are being defined:

“One is that we are shifting from focussing on growth to focussing on development. Growth

means ‘getting bigger’; development means ‘getting better’… [The second paradigm shift] is

from focussing on mobility to focussing on accessibility. Mobility means ‘you are moving’,

movement from place to place. Accessibility means you are getting the things you want.”

He explained that in order to improve accessibility, no growth of mobility is required. Instead,

the necessary approach would be to bring activities closer together by means of adjusting

land use patterns. This is also why cities are so important. If cities are properly planned and

developed, they bring activities together. Another example he referred to related to the

improvement of the quality, not the quantity, of the transport system.

Many North American cities became automobile-dependent, since they have focussed too

much on automobile transportation and not enough on multi-modal transportation. Mr. Litman

expressed the opinion that a major part of designing a good city and a good transportation

system is to emphasise diversity. A more diverse transportation system provides a balanced

or multi-modal transport system and helps achieve equity objectives by increasing

opportunities.

Moreover, Mr. Litman demonstrated some examples for the diverse impacts of different types

of land use patterns on transport:

The proportion of trips made by transit and walking increase as an area becomes more

urbanised;

Urban environments tend to reduce per capita motor vehicle use and increase non-

motorised travel;

In walkable or public transit-oriented communities, safety increases as total per capita

traffic fatality rates tend to decline;

Transportation costs tend to be lower in urban areas, and people experience a higher

level of accessibility compared to suburban areas;

Urbanisation provides benefits that develop best in a compact, mixed, walkable urban

neighbourhood.

He then claimed that current transport planning practices tend to think in “reductionist terms”,

focusing on just one or two problems at a time. Mr. Litman noted that a more comprehensive

approach to and within planning will result in win-win-strategies. These can be defined as

solutions aimed at one problem that also help solve other problems.



In a next step, Mr. Litman presented examples for a reformed planning practice that creates

these win-win solutions. The following illustrates the three related key requirements for

planners:

Multi-modality: Focusing on the measurement of people, not just vehicles. Comprehensiveness: Consideration of all costs and benefits. Least-cost-approach: Equal funding for mobility management solutions.

As an example for win-win solutions and planning strategies that can help achieve social

inclusion objectives, Mr. Litman illustrated the concept of Smart Growth. This is a very

general term for policies that integrate transportation and land use decisions, for example by

creating more compact communities, infill development, more mixed land use and improved

walkability. Smart Growth is an alternative to urban sprawl. It can therefore help to create

more accessible, more liveable communities, where travel distances are shorter, people

have more travel options, and it is possible to walk and bicycle to more destinations.

Furthermore, Mr. Litman mentioned the importance of walking and cycling improvements:

“As a way to improve social inclusion, public transport is important. But even more important

is walkability: it’s the ability of people to go out, to get around”. Improved walking and cycling

conditions increase transportation options and basic mobility which particularly benefits non-

drivers. Additionally, people who are transportation disadvantaged often rely heavily on

walking and cycling. He also stated walkability as a key to gender inclusion.

Upon finishing his speech, Mr. Litman referred to the challenge arising from the necessity to

provide options and incentives for those people who do drive a car to change to other

modes. Measures to encourage public transport ridership include for instance:

Improving the quality of service, reduction of fares;

Bus Rapid Transit as a way to provide for medium-distance trips in urban areas and as

an alternative to attracting travellers who would otherwise move by car;

Car sharing as a convenient and affordable alternative to private vehicle ownership;

Pricing of road use and parking in order to make motorists pay directly and face the

actual costs of their behaviour.

Mayors’ round table discussion

The wants and needs of public transport users: Paying respect to urban mobility’s many faces




Mrs. Margareta Olofsson, Vice Mayor of Stockholm

Mrs. Olofsson first mentioned three important issues of

current transport policy in the city of Stockholm: the

improvement of rail infrastructure for public transport,

environmental fees and road tolls for the reduction of

congestion and a better environment, and the creation of a

“City for Everybody”. Regarding the latter, the city of

Stockholm has the goal of becoming the world’s most easily

accessible city by 2010. When introducing the city of

Stockholm, Mrs. Olofsson outlined the population

development as well as the geographical and structural

conditions that determine transport demand and supply. She

also referred to the transport situation, stating that 72 per cent of the citizens of Stockholm

take public transport to work. During wintertime this percentage increases sometimes up to

95 per cent. Furthermore, enhancing public transport is also supposed to achieve more

mobility for young people without depending on parental transport, to better serve the needs

of women as well as to improve environmental conditions.

Mrs. Olofsson noted that even though the public transport system in Stockholm is quite good,

there are still too many cars on the roads, which results in congestion particularly during

peak traffic hours and along the main traffic arteries and streets. Furthermore, the street

network of the city had been designed long before private motorisation started in the 1950s.

New and wider roads to reduce congestions are regarded as detrimental for the environment,

and they would also not be accepted by the public. In order to improve the situation,

Stockholm is currently carrying out the so-called Congestion Charging Trials. The Trials

started in January 2006 and will run for about six months. They include a combination of

congestion charging, extended public transport services and new park and ride facilities. The

primary objectives of the Trials are to reduce congestion, increase accessibility and improve

the environment. The secondary objectives include the decrease of traffic volumes on the

busiest roads by 10 to 15 per cent, the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide and other

pollutants detrimental to the human health, the improvement of the urban environment, and

the provision of more resources for public transport. Congestion charges apply during

working hours on weekdays. Car drivers have to pay between 1 and 2 Euro every time they

pass the newly installed cameras, yet at the most, it costs them 6 Euro a day. Additionally,

during peak traffic hours higher fees are being charged. Exemptions apply to emergency

services and transport for the disabled.



Mrs. Olofsson explained that during the Trials, traffic has decrease by 20 per cent, which is

more than what had initially been expected. Following the trial phase a referendum will be

held in conjunction with the general elections in Stockholm, and it will be up to the citizens to

decide whether or not congestion charging will be continued.

Lastly, Mrs. Olofsson referred to the Easy Access Project, which plays an important role in

achieving the goal of making Stockholm the easiest accessibly capital in the world by 2010 at

the latest. The project is targeted mainly at the needs of the disabled, and it is supposed to

increase their accessibility in and to public transport.

The Easy Access Project started in February 1999. By resolution of the Stockholm City

Council, 10 million Euro per annum are earmarked to improve accessibility within the Traffic

Committee’s area of responsibility. Contacts have also been established with all the

organisations representing disabled people requesting them to point out suitable objects and

corresponding actions in order to facilitate accessibility. Also, in order to improve safety and

security, the city has proposed a new programme targeting this issue with special regard to

woman’s needs.

Mr. Seyed Hashem Bani Hashemi Chaharom, Mayor of Mashhad

Mr. Hashemi Chaharom pointed out that apart from the 2.6 million inhabitants, the city also

has to plan for a large number of visitors that add up to about 15 million per year. One of the

most important goals in transport policy in Mashhad therefore is to better inform and educate

the population. To this end, assessments of the public opinion are carried out every two

years with the support of universities and scholars. Also, a radio station has been specially

established that informs people on transportation policies people and serves to survey the

public opinion. Further methods of public participation and information include the provision

of opinion boxes as well as free weekly newspapers. Statistical analysis of the opinions and

information thus gathered is being done by a local university, and the results are then passed

on to the city councillors and those responsible for transport planning to be included in the

Transport Master Plan.

The variety of applied approaches has already led to a better planning and better

controllability of the traffic in Mashhad. As an example, Mr. Hashemi Chaharom mentioned

commuting times, which in Mashhad are about 45 minutes to get from one end of the city to

the other. This is notable, especially in the light of the large number of people who need to be

transported. The focus of transport planning is on public transport and particularly on the

creation of a subway system. Construction for the subway is well underway and about 90 per

cent is already finished, so that the focus has now shifted to creating a second and third

subway line. These are to be financed by the government.



Mr. Enrique Doger Guerrero, Mayor of Puebla de Zaragoza

The headline of Mr. Doger Guerrero’s contribution to the

round table read as “The Five Keys to Improve Urban

Mobility”. These five keys are: vision, action, continuity and

institutional setup, innovation and change in the development

model.

Referring back to the inputs of previous speakers, Mr. Doger

Guerrero posed the following as an important guiding

question: “We know where we are, and we know where we

want to be. But how do we get from here to there?” Building

on this question, he outlined the premises for sustainable

transport development in Puebla.

First, there is a globalised development model which

produces growth based on concentration and dispersion of

cities and economic opportunities and, likewise, of people. Second, one has to recognise that

in today’s world, mobility equals development, and vice versa. The third premise relates to

the importance of social cohesion and the struggle to combat poverty as preconditions for

achieving a sustainable city. Lastly, urban management in Puebla is based in the conviction

that “change is possible”, as it has been demonstrated by developing cities like, for example,

Curitiba, Bogotá or Porto Alegre.

According to Mr. Doger Guerrero, the transport system in Puebla is quite similar to that of

many other developing cities, and so are the problems and issues of consideration. Main

characteristics of the transport network, however, result from the fact that out of the 2 million

inhabitants of the city, 70 per cent do not own a car and therefore strongly depend on public

transport:

About 1 million trips per day are carried out by public transport;

70 per cent of air pollutants come from mobile sources and therefore to a large degree

from public as well as private transport;

Average speed in the city is about 5 km/h;

There is no inspection or maintenance programme for vehicles;

The number of traffic accidents, and especially the number of mortal accidents, is

intolerably high.

In summary, Mr. Doger Guerrero described Puebla’s transport system as “expensive,

inefficient, unsafe and highly pollutant”.



However, from a transport point of view, Puebla is the city in Mexico that has most

thoroughly been studied by various institutions, both local and international. Currently, the

five keys for Puebla are taken as basis for the development and implementation of

measures. Mr. Doger Guerrero illustrated this by using the following examples:

1. Vision: Puebla invited the former Mayor of Bogota, Mr. Enrique Peñalosa, to reveal the

‘secret’ of the successful TransMilenio to the Governor of Puebla, so that the system

could be copied and implemented there as well. However, Mr. Peñalosa replied to that

question with the following: ”I cannot tell you anything about the transport system unless

you tell me what is the vision of the city that you want to build.”

2. Action: A vision is worth nothing when it is not put into action.

3. Continuity: Institutional strength and setup as well as political will are the main

prerequisites for both the vision and its translation into action.

4. Innovation: A strategy of continuous innovation is needed to provide for continuity as it

has been demonstrated in Curitiba

5. Change in the development model: The present model is based on economic

competition, social exclusion and environmental degradation. Since it is obvious that

such a model does not work, it needs to be changed into one of economic co-operation,

social inclusion and environmental respect.

Mr. Patrick Xavier Ramiaramanana, Mayor of Antananarivo

Mr. Ramiaramanana first outlined the importance of mobility in a city: Every citizen in a city

has to move, has to be mobile in order to participate in the urban activities, and thus, mobility

needs to be guaranteed. However, on the other hand financial difficulties in cities lead to a

situation where money in the transport system is being saved rather than spent. Additionally,

transport growth generates heavy dependence on oil, which is also a financial issue.

In Antananarivo, the situation is such that the rich people use cars for transport because of

comfort demands. The middle class tries to save money at home and therefore uses public

transport. However, the poor do not have money at all, so they depend on public transport.

Out of the two latter groups, virtually everyone uses or at least could use public transport,

which connects certain destinations and activities. However, the poor predominately walk,

because transport for them is too expensive. This leads to a situation where they seem to

have forgotten that public transport exists at all. This is an important social aspect of

transportation in Antananarivo.



Mr. Brian Ashton, Councillor of the City of Toronto

Mr. Ashton emphasised that in Toronto, in Canada and in North America as a whole “the car

is still king”. Cars have a dramatic impact on people’s lives. First, they are one of the

indicators of wealth, and people know a car gives them a high degree of mobility and

independence that allows them to share in the prosperity of the regions and the cities that

they live in. However, it also degrades the environment, and it does not allow cities to carry

out planning in a fashion that is more social and interoperable. From a planning point of view

the car pushes the pedestrian aside, and it isolates people in communities since they just

drive from one point to the other, thus having a very closed personal environment. The

Toronto Transit Commission looks at social cohesion in a way that they emphasise the

importance of cultural sharing when people are able to freely move around. Mr. Ashton

highlighted this issue by explaining that every language spoken in the city is also spoken in

public transport, thus illustrating the diverse cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds of the

Toronto public transport users. There is also an economic aspect connected to this, which

relates to how people share in the benefits of prosperity in a community. Mr. Ashton stated:

“Transport is an opportunity to expand that sharing in a way that it has not taken place as

well as it could in the past.” Environmental issues are equally important, and moreover, in

North America the car has largely contributed to urban sprawl for the last 50 years.

Therefore, Mr. Ashton concluded, considering social cohesion and transport in a city is also

about money, it is about resources and it is about institutional will, which also involves the

public will to sacrifice resources to that larger public transport goal.

Mr. Pierre Amondji Djedji; Governor of the District of Abidjan

Mr. Djedji outlined that one of the biggest challenges in Abidjan is to cater not only for the

transport needs of the 6 million people who live in the city, but also for the large influx of,

predominantly, refugees that has taken place over the past years. In order to be able to

transport the greatest number of people within the existing transport system, the bus is the

main means of public transport. However, since the early 1990s, the ever-increasing demand

has exceeded existing capacities. So, in order for people to be mobile, the car becomes the

preferred choice of transport, since it offers a better availability and higher comfort of travel.

This does, however, cause serious problems, also because people neglect proper

automobile maintenance simply in order to save money.

The administration of Abidjan therefore attempts to reduce the number of cars and create a

public transport system that can cater for a maximum number of people. Additionally, walking

as a mode of transport should be promoted and increased. The city has drawn up a

programme aimed at achieving these objectives; however, financing is problematic.



Mr. Francisco Sanchez Perdomo, Secretary of the Provincial Assembly of the City of La

Habana

Mr. Sanchez Perdomo explained to the audience that in La Habana strategic transport

planning has advanced in recent years. However, financing still is a big problem. One of the

main objectives is to bring closer together residential and employment areas in order to limit

transport demand. Another priority is to ensure transportation for pupils and students, since

schools are often located too far away from children’s homes. More than 100,000 people per

day are now transported with state run public transportation. The transport system is largely

based on buses. However, these are too few in number and there are great difficulties

extending or even sustaining existing services. In order to solve this problem La Habana has

introduced a very special mode of transport, namely trucks or trailers that have been

converted into buses. These are called ‘camellos’ or camels because of their two

characteristic humps. These buses usually cover the longer routes from the city centre to the

outskirts, and each ‘camel’ is able to fit in about 200 to 300 people.

Open discussion

The moderator summarised the morning keynote

speeches as well as roundtable contributions by

stating that while it has been said that the overall

roots of social and indeed transport problems are

by and large the same, the actual situation in the

cities appears to be vastly different. He highlighted

especially the differences in the scale of the

problems, comparing for example the additional

transport demand in Berlin during the FIFA Soccer World Cup with the annual excess

transport demand of pilgrims in Mashhad. However, because of the very different situation in

the cities, over-simplified comparisons should be avoided.

He then opened the discussion by referring back to the overall topic of the round table,

thereby questioning again the roundtable participants about who in their opinion are the

groups of users, who find it most difficult to get the transport they require.

Mr. Doger Guerrero replied by stating that indigenous poor women who live in the periphery

of Puebla are most seriously restricted in their mobility. He added that 75 per cent of the

main indigenous communities in Puebla had, until last year, not been connected to the city’s

transport system at all. By now, the connections have been established, yet the poor

indigenous women still cannot travel according to their needs.



Mr. Sanchez Perdomo then explained that in La Habana the transport needs of the rich and

poor are not that different from each other. However, transport needs of tourists are still a

problem which is supposed to be solved by 2007.

For Abidjan, Mr. Djedji stated that among the most vulnerable groups to lack of transport are

certain workers who depend on public transport but cannot afford the tickets. Additionally, 95

per cent of the woman also absolutely depend on public transport and suffer most from

inadequate service and provision.

Mr. Ramiaramanana highlighted the failure to satisfy the needs of the disabled and

unaccompanied children as Antananarivo’s most challenging issue. However, he also stated

that because of the present conditions, literally everyone in the city faces transport

difficulties.

Mrs. Olofsson agreed to that, stating that in Stockholm it is mostly singly mothers,who live

far away from the city centre that find it hard to satisfy their needs with the existing public

transport.

In Toronto, Mr. Ashton added, there are three groups who experience difficulties: First, the

disabled and mobility impaired; second the elderly; and third, the younger population.

Regarding the former two, barrier-free accessibility to transport routes and vehicles is a

challenge, which also has financial implications. However, concerning the group of the

young, the challenge is to tempt them to use public transport and develop a new lifestyle

around public transport instead of the car.

Being asked by the moderator what, in their point of view, is needed to improve transport

conditions (with disregard for monetary issues) the round table participants named the

following:

Mr. Ashton: Public awareness, because when the public recognises the importance of

public transport, then the financial issue will begin to evaporate, and the funding will be

found.

Mrs. Olofsson: Better connecting the periphery to the city centre.

Mr. Doger Guerrero: A change in the applied perspective since “a chain is as strong as

its weakest link”, and if there are politicians who do not understand the relevance of the

problems, then even the best transport planners, professionals and technicians will not

be able to solve anything.

Mr. Djedji: Imagination: In order to adapt existing transport systems to fulfil today’s

needs, creative ideas are needed. For example, in Abidjan, local initiatives join together



to finance the purchase of a boat, which allows for the improvement of water-based

transportation.

Mr. Hashemi Chaharom: Categorisation of problems and finding of targeted solutions.

For example, the redesign of sidewalks will support the disabled. In order to improve

mobility of women, high levels of comfort should be ensured, which also includes the

availability of private cars. Workers will benefit from the location of residential quarters

close to the places of work. Moreover, people living outside the city should find housing

and jobs there, so that immigration from rural areas is prevented, which has both social

and transport benefits.

From the audience, the following suggestions were made.

Mr. Tossavi from Cotonou (Benin) highlighted

the importance of co-operation. In regard to

this, he also stressed the need for developed

and developing countries to work together. He

outlined that in developing countries huge

environmental problems are caused by the

import of used and often very old cars from

Europe that do not fulfil present environmental

standards. These cars are bought and used primarily by the middle class and greatly add to

air pollution. In Mr. Tossavi’s opinion, developed countries should stronger support

developing countries in dealing with environmental problems as well as with problems of

social cohesion and other transport related issues. He suggested that a network like

Metropolis should more strongly commit itself to the facilitation of co-operation. In Cotonou,

new legislation has been implemented in order to limit the age of imported cars expecting

that this will reduce environmental burdens of transport.

Mrs. Keita Diawara from Bamako added that in her city parking is a major problem and that

she would be interested in finding out how this is being dealt with in other cities. Moreover,

she explained that the examples of Kolkata and Seoul were most inspiring. For example, in

Bamako “social neighbourhoods” were being developed, but contrary to Kolkata, transport

planning had not been integrated. The reformation of the bus system similar to Seoul would

also be a promising measure to improve transport in Bamako.

Mr. Bozdogan then reported from Istanbul, where transport problems arise from population

numbers reaching about 15 million with an average annual population growth of about

300,000. However, transport provision does not live up to the increasing demand and



expectations. While the network is being extended, one major focus is on the connection of

the Asian and the European sides across the Bosporus.

In the following discussion, Mr. Kookjun Ma from Seoul asked Mrs. Olofsson about how

prices for the congestion charge had been set. She replied by stating that the intention had

been to not price it too high and to make it comparable to London. Also, she explained the

system of staggering prices according the time of the day with highest prices being charged

at traffic peak hours. It is not certain, Mrs. Olofsson admitted, whether these are the best

prices; however, they serve the purpose of the trial phase and are negotiable once, and if,

the scheme is implemented on a permanent basis. She also reported that there had been

numerous complaints in the beginning of the trials, but now the situation has changed.

People have started to notice the reduced number of car, the reduced pollution, the improved

walkability and the overall improvement of the urban environment and quality of public space.

Mrs. Olofsson was then asked by Mr. Ömer Lütfi from Istanbul about the share of water-

bound transportation on overall transportation. Mrs. Olofsson stated that water is not really

used at the moment for transportation purposes, but there are plans to increase it in the

future. A major problem, however, arises from the fact that the water freezes during winter,

which allows for water-bound transportation only during summer months.

For the final round of the discussion, the moderator posed a last question on who is most

influential on transport policy in the various cities.

For Toronto, Mr. Ashton said, funding and financing are the determining issues. The

governments and departments that have best access to financing streams are more likely to

be able to follow up their plans. However, he also identified “a big elephant in the room”, i.e.

an actor of overwhelming importance, which is the oil industry and the way it creates and

fosters the automobile’s predominance. He therefore stated that a vital question for the future

is how the revenues from the oil industry can also be used for investing into sustainable

mobility in cities.

Mr. Olofsson outlined the importance of the environmental departments, since they put the

question of environmentally sustainable transport forward. Additionally, citizens have an

influence, but most power remains with the decision makers on political level. She stated that

this is the proper way to go and that technicians alone should not make the decisions.

However, if politicians make decisions that are not popular with the public, they also run the

risk of losing in the next elections.



Mr. Doger Guerrero said that decisions are usually made by a small fraction of the

population, which consists of public transport concessionaries and by of politicians with only

short-term interests.

Mr. Djedji said that in Abidjan the mayor makes the decisions. However, he can not do so

without securing appropriate financing.

Likewise, Mr. Hashemi Chaharom stated that in Mashhadnthe government is largely

responsible for decision making and implementation.


Afternoon Session: Gender, Transport and Equality of Chance 22

Afternoon Session: Gender, Transport and Equality of Chance

Mrs. Francine Senécal; Co-President of Metropolis International Women Network, Montreal

It’s a woman’s world: Issues from the Metropolis International Women Network.

Mrs. Senécal introduced the subject of gender and urban

mobility by outlining some of the overall issues and concerns

with regard to women’s travel needs and abilities. She

emphasised that constraints to urban mobility are not always

the same, but they are influenced by local costumes, statutes

and social classes as well as health and responsibilities that

women have towards other people. Women are often limited

in their opportunity to move and choose modes of transport,

and they experience difficulties in transportation because they

do not always have adequate means and resourced to satisfy

their needs.

Mrs. Senécal explained that the specific interest of the Metropolis International Women

Network is to address all of the conference participants as people interested in having safe

and equitable urban mobility for all people to take into consideration the specific needs of

women, because women’s voices are not always properly heard. This is often because they

have neither the economic power nor the necessary authority to influence decision making in

urban management.

Women are not a homogenous group, yet they include a number of ‘segments’ such as

different age groups, women with and without children, working women, lone parents, etc.

Moreover, during the course of a day, women take on different roles. They are women who

work, they are mothers or care-takers of elderly while, at the same time, they do the family

shopping. The daily life of women, therefore, has many facets. Yet, whenever women’s

issues are addressed, Mrs. Senécal explained, usually only one aspect, namely paid work

that is taking place outside the house, is discussed: “Women’s many activities are given

neither pride of place nor due credit.” In studies of modes of transportation, only the part of

women’s work that takes place outside the house is actually taken into account. However,

women’s transport needs evolve also and mainly around their families. The values given to

mobility and to possibilities from mobility are gauged often according to the monetary value



of people’s time and not their contribution to the liveliness of urban activity. This type of

thinking penalises women whose income is less than that of men, because they carry many

tasks for which they are not paid.

Having thus explored the background to women’s different travel needs, Mrs. Senécal

referred to how those translate into actual travel behaviour. She stated that women more

often carry out multi-purpose trips also to accompany members of the family. Those are

frequent and often short in duration and take place outside rush hour. Since equity of pay is

still far from being achieved, women also often have less money than men. This has an

influence on the modes of transport that women can afford, the access to jobs and social

services, and, consequently, it has a direct impact on their finances and their physical and

psychological well-being. Since women often outlive men, the transport needs of senior

women need to be particularly addressed. This refers both to service provision including

pricing and tariff policy as well as to infrastructure including waiting areas, weather

protection, benches, etc.

Mrs. Senécal named a few solutions to urban accessibility problems that could help

integrating women’s needs into transport planning and provision. These include:

Integrated fare systems in order to accommodate complex trip chaining;

Ensuring that in the course of privatisation of the transport sector less efficient routes are

not abandoned at the expense of the women who rely on these services;

Availability of transport for women with low income both in developed and developing

countries;

Urban planning that is conducive to walking as a means to improve health, ensure

mobility and reduce transport generated pollution;

Fostering of the use of bicycles and motorcycles especially for women in developing

countries, promotion of car pooling;

Decentralisation of public services and provision of close-to-home services to shorten

distances for women who are active in their local areas;

Creation of infrastructure that is adapted to the needs of a variety of people, including

those – mostly female – people accompanying children or the elderly.

Furthermore, Mrs. Senécal referred to the problem of safety and security in transportation. In

many urban settings, women are prevented from moving around freely because of the

perceived lack of security and the inherent danger of being attacked or harassed. Special

night-time services and additional stops close to women’s homes could help to reduce these



obstacles. Additionally, integrating female staff in public transport could be an important step

towards safer urban and transport environments.

Before concluding her speech, Mrs. Senécal mentioned a few other concerns that are

relevant in the context of women’s mobility. For example, local customs or legislation can

influence mobility of women to a large degree. Reserved seats for pregnant women or the

elderly, she claims, are part of a lost tradition of civic duty: “In some countries, these customs

remain, but elsewhere it is a thing of the past.” In many developing countries, there is also a

link between transport and poverty.

Mrs. Senécal summarised her speech by again emphasising that often simple measures can

make a huge difference in better meeting women’s daily travel needs, and, consequently,

those of other people, too. Also, people need to understand that women are a strong and

powerful force in local government and in decision making processes and therefore, their

voices need to be heard. Further efforts are needed to come up with solutions that are

adequate for both men and women and that do not foster inequality or segregation.

The last point was further emphasised employing the example of Rosa Parks, a black

woman, who in December 1955 in Montgomery (Alabama, USA), refused to give up her seat

in a bus for a white man. Her arrest lead to the Montgomery Bus Boycott which, eventually,

forced the public authorities to abolish colour-based segregation in trains and buses. Mrs.

Senécal closed her speech by asking “So today, we could ask ourselves: ‘What would Rosa

Parks think if she were to see her daughter take up this battle again, not because she is

black this time, but because she is a woman?’”

Mrs. Deike Peters; Centre for Metropolitan Studies, Technical University Berlin

Gender Issues in Transportation . Applying an Integrated Perspective.

Mrs. Peters initiated her speech by reminding the audience that “…the term ’gender’ refers

not to a person's sex but rather to the socially and culturally determined roles women and

men play in a particular environment. These roles are learned behaviour and, therefore, not

fixed but malleable and subject to change.”

When addressing gender and transport, Mrs. Peters identified two principal ways of framing

these issues, namely ‘difference’ or ‘inequality’. The distinction appears to be crucial, since

difference, in and of itself, does not necessarily imply inequality or discrimination. However,



summarising the key findings from all gender-oriented transport research, it appears that

women suffer from an unequal intra- household allocation of transport tasks and resources.

When talking about incorporating gender, and indeed gender

mainstreaming, the focus is not on erasing the existing

differences which is in fact impossible. Mrs. Peter explained

that while gender is socially constructed, there are also

biological determinants, such as physical strength, height and

body structure. Those still matter for efficient and effective

design of infrastructures and services. Also, neither women

nor men are a homogenous group, so one needs to be wary

of overgeneralisations and stereotypes in order to overcome

one-dimensional and simplistic thinking.

After her introduction, Mrs. Peter gave details on gender

inequality in transportation. As the two (related) root causes of

gender imbalances in transport, she identified the following:

“One has to do with women's primary responsibility for all reproductive tasks - which are at

the same time much undervalued and underappreciated in our capitalist societies - and the

other has to do with men's superior access to vehicles and to transport-related decision

making:”

Differences in travel patterns were exemplarily explored by Mrs. Peters regarding travel

purposes. She outlined that women make more household-related trips, and moreover, in

some contexts, these tasks entail substantial physical load carrying. Also, women trip chain

more and do more off-peak travel whereas men's travel patterns tend to be more linear.

Next Mrs. Peters referred to the important and generally largely acknowledged aspect of

women’s personal safety in (public) transport: “In addition to theft and assault, women are

also highly concerned about the possibility of sexual harassment or even rape.”

As a result of past efforts to incorporate gender issues in the transport sector, public

institutions appear to be increasingly mindful of the fact that women continue to be much

underrepresented in transport planning and policy. Two prominent examples illustrate this

notion:

1. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

(UNESCAP) features a special "women in transport" website noting "Transport has long

been considered a non-traditional occupation for women.”



2. The European Commission officially admits that "their [=women's] involvement as

transport planners and decision-makers is still very limited".

In order to move “From Analysis to Action”, the key goal of “A more enabling environment for

more localized, reproductive and unencumbered travel” should be pursued by employing, for

example, the following methods and integrating them into transport planning:

Sensitivity to the micro-level impacts of all large-scale interventions;

Gender sensitive user surveys;

Documentation of latent demand for travel;

More integrated fare systems;

More advance ticket sales;

Recognise women as producers and suppliers of transport services.

Mrs. Peters closed her speech as follows: “Bringing a gender perspective to transport is not

rocket science. It does not even necessarily require much money. What it does require is

good common sense, attention to detail, a sense of social justice, political will, and a

commitment to a more people-centred outlook on transport planning and decision making. In

fact, we can all go home after today and immediately start changing the way we conceive,

design and manage our roads, trains, subways, trams, stations, airports, bridges, tunnels,

sidewalks, bikeways and traffic lights.”

The discussion following Mrs. Peters’ presentation was lively and revealed some more

detailed insights into the notions towards and approaches to gender sensitive transport

planning.

Mr. Bhattacharyya asked for clarification of what is meant by ‘the role of women as

suppliers and producers of transport services’. According to Mrs. Peters, women are

principally the ones to accompany other people, such as children, the sick and elderly or

otherwise mobility impaired persons. As an example, Mrs. Peters mentioned the “suburban

soccer mom”, who drives her children everywhere after school. This way, the “soccer mom”

takes on a dual role: she is herself a (in this case private) transport user, while at the same

time, she provides a service to her children.

The importance of these women-based transport services was emphasised by Mr. Doger Guerrero from Mexico, who told the audience that there traffic is so bad, it has become a

common practice that mothers not only accompany their own children to and from school but

also those of their neighbours.



Quite a fundamental issue, which led to a somewhat controversial debate, was then raised

by Mr. Litman. He referred to the, in his opinion, as yet unresolved issue of whether

women’s needs in transportation are to be perceived as ‘special’, or would make more sense

to use the concept of ‘universal design’ as it is already being done with regard to the

demands of physically impaired people. That way, it was suggested, standards could be

defined that are of use to everyone, and the gender dimension could become almost

irrelevant. Also, he supposed that such an approach would serve to get more (political)

support especially from men. However, this suggestion was dismissed by Mrs. Peters as well

as by other members of the auditorium since it would mask important aspects of inequality

and injustice. The debate could not be resolved and was then deferred to the following panel

discussion.

Moderated panel discussion.

Gender-sensitive transport planning – moving from case studies to everyday practice.

The moderated panel discussion commenced

with the following brief statements from

representatives of various cities, which served

as an input for the discussion to follow.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer, Presidency C4, Senator of Urban Development, Berlin.

The Presidency of C4, Mrs. Junge-Reyer, opened the afternoon panel discussion by referring

back to the two previous keynote speeches and the questions that had been raised and

briefly debated by both the speakers and the auditorium. She noted that while the living

conditions of men and women differ from each other, this must not always mean that women

are in an inferior position. Moreover, she quoted from a recent study on the living conditions

of women in Berlin, which showed that past efforts to achieve gender equality have indeed

achieved considerable progress.

Regarding, for example, levels of education and employment status, women in Berlin have

begun to outdo men. Also, the provision of childcare facilities and other framework conditions

that determine the construction of and the relation between the gender roles appear to work



quite in favour for women. Challenges arise, however, from the unfavourable economic

situation of the city, which threatens to counteract the achievements of the gender movement

by affecting women’s professional futures more than those of men.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer stated that gender mainstreaming has for some years already been an

important aspect to be considered in the administration of the city. It is, for example, an

integral part of Berlin’s Integrated Transport Plan (StEP), which was adopted in 2003. The

plan names the elimination of the gender bias in transport as one of the main objectives in

order to achieve the goal of equal mobility chances for all.

Concrete examples for gender orientated policies and measures in the transport sector were

provided by Mrs. Junge-Reyer with regard to the city’s efforts to create a barrier-free

transport system. At a more strategic level, Berlin incorporates gender mainstreaming into

the process of developing and implementing the new Local Transport Plan (NVP).

Outlining the negotiation process that had been undertaken to keep up night-time service on

a particular bus line, the closing down of which would predominantly have affected women,

Mrs. Junge-Reyer concluded with the following statement: “Sometimes small changes can

make a great difference for women. And therefore, I think, first we have to implement those

changes, carefully considering that we provide access to mobility for all parts of the city and

for all parts of life for women. “

Mrs. Salimatou Keita Diawara, Bamako

Mrs. Diawara referred to a specific problem in Mali, namely the role of women in the informal

sector. In Mali, the informal sector is very important, making up more than 50 per cent of the

entire economy. Moreover, the informal sector is predominantly operated by women, who

have, from a transport point of view, great problems in exercising their trade or getting to

work. Due to lack of housing and lack of storage room for trade goods and products, these

women have to take their possessions with them everywhere. Since they are loaded with a

great amount of baggage, it is not possible for them to use public transport due to lack of

appropriate capacities. Therefore, more than 15 per cent of people working in the informal

sector use a cart for transporting goods and belongings. Mrs. Diawara pointed out that this

problem needs to be dealt with not only because of the gender component involved, but also

because of the large contribution of this sector to the economy as a whole.

Regarding the issue of transportation, Mrs. Diawara outlined another serious problem that

women in Mali are faced with. Their role in society is somewhat limited to domestic activities

like looking after children and the family. The mobility demands thus arising are different from



those derived from the necessity to go to work. The majority of women affected live in the

suburbs, and they do not have the means to travel anywhere and cannot afford personal

mobility. These shortcomings contribute to the impoverishment of the population in Bamako,

and they add especially to the poverty of women.


Mr. Bhattacharyya began his statement by emphasising the importance of gender issues in

all urban policy and management fields, and particularly in transportation. He pointed out that

these issues are regularly ignored and “as a matter of fact, women all over the world suffer

from that, and Kolkata is not different in any way from that.”

Outlining the situation in Kolkata, Mr. Bhattacharyya explained that both the employment

ratio and the literacy ratio are rapidly increasing. However, the degree to which different

groups of the population can benefit from this also depends on access to transport and

mobility.

Kolkata is becoming the centre of an IT hub, with a vast number of IT companies and related

industries located in and around the city. The IT industry tends to work 7 days a week, 24

hours a day. However, the transport system does not. If people go to work during service

hours, they are often unable to return easily to their homes, and vice versa. This influences

their education and training opportunities in the IT industry. Mr. Bhattacharyya explained that

the majority of people affected are women.

Next, he referred to the safety issue in transportation. The Mayor explained that Kolkata used

to have special women-only compartments on trains and reserved seating on buses.

However, it turned out that women did not feel safer in the designated compartments, but on

the contrary, they preferred mixed compartments.

Women are the main users of public transport in Kolkata, and they have to go through a lot of

trouble to handle their multiple mobility demands arising from the varieties of action carried

out throughout the day with the existing transport services. Because of the changing

economy and more women joining the workforce, the increase of car based transportation as

such is, by and large, also an increase in female car drivers. Nevertheless, Mr.

Bhattacharyya explained, a woman driving a car is still an unusual sight in Kolkata for many

men. Thus, female drivers are made subject to ridicule, which influences their will and their

ability to move around freely.



Mrs. Rita Rachele Dandavino, Co-ordinator Metropolis International Women Network,

Montreal

Mrs. Dandavino referred to the role of women as employees in the transport sector, for

example as bus drivers, managers and representatives for women’s needs. Referring to the

previous statement made, Mrs. Dandavino agreed that among women, there is a trend

towards private car use. This trend has also been acknowledged by the car industry, which

increasingly aims advertisement campaigns at young women. Public transport providers

should, therefore, consider that if they loose women as predominant public transport users to

the private car, they will in the long run experience difficulties keeping their passenger

numbers up: “If we have a business, we should say: ‘It’s cheaper to keep a client than to find

a new one’.” If women are to continue to use public transport, especially once they earn

enough money to actually afford a car, then they need to feel well-served.

Lastly, Mrs. Dandavino emphasised that there is a need to offer a variety of transport modes

to the users, to make them as pleasant and easy to use as possible, and not to see mobility

as only transport. For example, a woman with young children does not only need a built

environment that allows her to move around freely with a stroller, but the environment must

also encourage her to want to go out and to feel that women are welcome. This involves

offering the necessary infrastructure for non-motorised transport, especially walking, not only

for getting from point A to point B, but also for leisure and health purposes. This somewhat

philosophical approach to urban movement, Mrs. Dandavino stated, is often not accepted by

men because they do not understand the emotions of women and especially the anxiety that

can arise from an urban setting that is perceived unsafe for women and children to move

around freely.

Mr. Mohammad Reza Kheirabadi, Deputy of Traffic and Transportation, Municipality of

Mashhad

Mr. Kheirabadi addressed the issue of separating men and women in public transport. In

Iran, this is a cultural issue which largely determines women’s ability to move in public

transport. He told the audience that, in 1990, there was a request made by the public asking

for a separation of men and women in buses. When the separation was initiated, it turned out

to be a success and was then initiated in other cities all around Iran. Before the segregation,

there had been numerous problems with overcrowding of buses, lack of seating especially

for women, pick pocketing as well as harassment of female passengers.

When the system had first been initiated, driver assistants were employed who co-ordinated

people and informed them of seat designations. For example, men get into the front of the



bus where their seating area is located. Women get in and out at the rear of the bus because

their designated seats are in the back of the bus. Once people got used to the new practice,

no further assistance was needed.

According to Mr. Kheirabadi, the system increased the safety and comfort of travel for

women and resulted in less complaints and higher levels of satisfaction. However, not all

passengers are entirely satisfied with this system. For example, young couples would rather

prefer to sit together.

In Mashhad, there are also some other services targeting women in particular, for example,

segregated buses and school buses designated for girls. There are also special 24 hour bus

services for families. Moreover, 25 per cent of taxi capacity is designated for women only. In

order to have taxi service for women only, there are 150 female taxi drivers, and about 500

taxis are owned by women. Mr. Kheirabadi concluded that this adds to the satisfaction of the

female transport users.

Open discussion

The moderator of the session, Mr. von Marschall, opened the general discussion of the

afternoon. He identified three main points that should be taken into further consideration.

1. The question issued earlier on, whether to address ‘gender issues’ or rather employ the

concept of ‘universal design’, should be more fully explored.

2. Mr. von Marschall asked how the previous comparison of equality in transport with the

battle fought by Rosa Parks and those who followed her relates to the statement issued

by Mr. Kheirabadi, namely that separation of the sexes is a solution to women’s transport

constraints.

3. Lastly, Mr. von Marschall asked the auditorium to discuss how women can get more

involved in transport and urban management and in the decision making process.

Mrs. Senecal made clear, her reference to Rosa Parks did by no means imply that she is in

favour of any kind of segregation in public transport in cities. The measures to be put forth to

remedy the gender bias in transportation must rather be inclusive and meet the needs of all

transport users alike. Therefore, the approach of ‘universal design’ appears to be an

interesting approach, but it must not put aside the whole issue of the particular needs that

women have. These have been duly mentioned in the course of this session, and especially

the complexity of women’s issues needs to be reflected upon more comprehensively.

Therefore, she concluded, gender specific issues in transportation have more layers than just



those related to actual design, which might be seen as a starting point, but it is not sufficient

to capture all the various needs of women. In fact, the variety and complexity of women’s

needs do not allow for easy observation and analysis, but it is especially because of this that

they must not be ignored or oversimplified.

Referring back to the question of segregation, Mrs. Peters clarified that the different starting

points and the different cultural settings respectively make an overall answer difficult und

inappropriate. She explained that in Northern America, and in Western societies as a whole,

there is an overwhelming readiness to challenge the current status quo of the attribution of

gender roles. For example, a lot of fathers are ready to take over childcare responsibilities

and so-called reproductive tasks in order to even out traditional gender relationships in their

own private sphere. In many other places in the world, however, the traditional division of

labour remains as it is, and it is not challenged by either of the sexes. So, what a society is

ready and able to do depends on the current status, and transport decision makers have no

choice but to act within this culturally determined setting. Therefore, the approach of

‘universal design’ might be appropriate in a society that has collectively decided to even out

the gender decision of labour. Nevertheless, it is not sufficient in a cultural environment

where it is, for example, inappropriate for women to be in the same bus as men because of

religious beliefs. The situation is again different in Latin America, where women ask for

segregated services, because they are being sexually harassed and feel physically and

psychologically hassled in public space. So segregation can be a solution, yet it strongly

depends on the context and the actual problems.

The moderator agreed with Mrs. Peters and underlined that in his opinion as well a

contradictory approach like segregation of the sexes should be discussed objectively and

without giving way to prejudice and judgement.

Next, Mr. Perdomo reported from the city of La Habana. There, about 75 per cent of all

working women have technical positions, and the rest hold management positions. There are

a number of rules and laws related to achieving equality for women, and this should be

achieved for both their professional life and personal life. When considering gender aspects,

Mr. Perdomo stated “... then it should be started from the beginning, namely from the

principle that in a city, men and women share the space, and they have to educate each

other”. In Cuba’s transport system, there are a lot of female drivers of both cars and buses,

and regarding private transportation, both men and women drive cars and motorcycles.

Furthermore, Mr. Perdomo noted that every society holds in its core several principles that

are not imposed, but that are part of its common culture and knowledge. In Cuba, this is



called the “formal habits”. These include, for example, opening the car door for a woman as a

gesture of respect and friendliness. These codes are established from the beginning. At

school, both boys and girls share the same classroom the same way as they both share the

same society. The cultural level is therefore important, and the more culture, the more

education a nation has, the more developed are the ways in which people and, indeed the

sexes, interact. This cultural education, moreover, contributes to avoiding aggression, rape,

or vulgarities especially in the treatment of women.

Mrs. Dandavino spoke next, addressing her questions to Mr. Kheirabadi from Mashhad. She

wanted to know how it is being ensured that women’s services get adequate financing and

are not the first ones to be abolished once money gets short. Second, she asked about the

segregation of children on buses, i.e. if a little boy travels with his mother, does he get into a

different part of the bus from her. Her third question was why women are in the back, not in

the front of the bus.

Mr. Kheirabadi replied to these questions by saying that age does not matter for segregation

which means boys always go to the front of the bus. He also explained that it was the

women’s wish to stay in the rear of the bus which has to do with cultural beliefs.

Mrs. Oloffson, the Vice Mayor of Stockholm, explained that in her city there is no separation

of buses or trains, because, just like in La Habana, people believe that men and women

share the same space and should be enabled to do so. However, there are special taxi

services for women that are also cheaper. This is to improve safety for women’s travels

especially at night time. It appears most women in Stockholm are not afraid of using the

subway or the bus at night, but they feel anxious of the walk from the stop to their homes.

Some areas, therefore, have volunteers, who can be called upon by the women and who

accompany them to their doors.

Furthermore, she talked about how financing is related to gender issues. When money is

provided for building new or extending existing roads, the same amount of money must be

directed to public transport. This practice is based upon the fact that women are the prime

public transport users.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer outlined that in Berlin, there had also been a debate about introducing

special taxi services for women. However, it was decided that it is more important to have

dense public transport services also during late evening hours. Furthermore, the aim is to

have a walking distance no longer than 200 to 300 metres from homes to public transport

stops. This is based on the insight that the greatest risk of being attacked for women does

not exist in public transport, but on to way to and from stations. She also referred to the



question of segregation in transport, stating that in her opinion this might be of particular

importance in society were aggression against women is not persecuted by law.

Mr. Doger Guerrero explained that regarding gender, but also other socially relevant issues

in transportation, there is a problem in Mexico’s transport management which is within the

regulative power of each federal state individually. In areas where the transport system is not

managed adequately, regulations aimed at improving the transport situation for women

frequently fail. Also, men often refuse to oblige those rules. This is a cultural issue that is

difficult to address by transport policy. Moreover, taxis are also not well controlled, and at taxi

ranks where women and families are supposed to have privileged access, the behaviour of

men sometimes counteracts the regulations. He concluded that these issues are not so

much related to gender but to societal roles. In Mexico, women also increasingly enter the

labour force and work in exactly the same ways as men, yet equality issues are not properly

addressed.

Following this part of the discussion, Mr. von Marschall again addressed the question of in

how far the concept of universal design differs from that of gender sensitive planning.

Mrs. Dandavino replied to this question first, stating that those defined as ‘disabled’ or

‘handicapped’ have to meet very specific criteria in terms of their medical and physical

conditions in order to benefit from targeted policies and measures. However, no definition

criteria for what can be called ‘a situation handicap’ exist. Such a ‘situation handicap’ applies,

for example, in circumstances when a woman, albeit in perfect health and shape, is not able

to reach the handle of a bus, or when a pregnant woman suffers from rough bus rides where

the swaying and bumping of the bus makes her feel uncomfortable and even sick. There are

a multitude of these situations, in which especially women are affected. Those are not taken

into account when, within the framework of ‘universal design’, predominantly physical

impairments are being considered. Mrs. Dandavino made clear that her idea is not to refuse

the concept of universal design and accessibility, but to benefit from the experiences of

women and to use their familiarity with situation handicaps to widen the concept and raise

the criteria. She furthermore suggested that the so-called “exploratory approach”, i.e. the

consultation with women as to their needs in specific situations, which has often been

successfully applied with regard to increasing safety in parks and public spaces, should be

used in the transport sector as well. However, the aim should not be to have special services

for women in the same way as there are special services for mobility impaired people which

is basically the meaning of universal accessibility.



This issue is furthermore related to increasing the number of women who work in the

transport sector. Their professional skills and their ability to converse in technical language

with their colleagues together with their everyday experiences as female transport users

allows them to translate women’s needs into the terminology of urban management decision

makers.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer outlined the way gender mainstreaming is incorporated into all areas of

public administration in Berlin. She explained that the aim is to guarantee equal opportunities

in life for men and women alike. Male transport planners tend to prefer discussing

transportation in terms of cars, streets and infrastructure. Female transport planners,

however, devote more of their attention to the quality of public transport. Thus, there are also

differences in the professional interests of men and women working in the transport sector,

and it is therefore necessary to even out the chances for them.

Referring to this, Mr. von Marschall concluded that now some affirmative action is needed in

order to make up for the fact that the interests of women have for a long time been

neglected. Only after a certain level of equality is achieved, a universal approach can be

adopted. Furthermore, in von Marschall’s opinion, discrimination of women appears seldom

to be intentional, yet it is a fact in everyday life.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer agreed to that, stating that while this is usually not being addressed,

discrimination of women is indeed still a common problem also in big metropolitan areas in

Europe.

Mrs. Diawara mentioned that from her point of view gender issues should not be dealt with

in an isolated manner. It is important that the needs of women, elderly, children, etc. be not

reviewed each in itself as a specific case. Instead, integrated solutions might provide for

societies that are more equal and just. Case studies are a first step, but they should be

enlarged to capture the problems identified as global issues.

Mrs. Dandavino added to her previous remarks that cultural needs of the individual need to

be taken into account. Cultural respect is a question of society, and it needs to be addressed

by politicians.

Mrs. Oloffson agreed with previous notions that universal design criteria can benefit all

people. However, she knows from experience that, for example, disabled men have less

difficulty in getting help when they need it as opposed to the attention disabled women get.

Consequently, since disabled men and women are treated differently, there are also gender

issues to be addressed.



Mrs. Senecal mentioned the side- and spin-off effects of measures that can often also

counteract the indented impact, and which are frequently difficult to anticipate. She made a

reference to experiences in Montreal. There, about 10 years ago, it had been decided to

create natural parks in urban areas. For ecological reasons, these had no lighting which in

turn created security problems. When those became intolerable, lighting and new paving

were put in, and it was attempted to increase the number of people present in the parks.

Even though these actions contradicted the initial idea of natural parks, they were but a

logical reaction to the insight that the negative side effects of the parks outweighed the

ecological benefits, which is a development that had not been foreseen.

In order to wrap up the previous decision, the moderator asked how women can be

encouraged to take up positions in the transport sector and to be likewise granted a bigger

say in the transport related decision making process.

Mr. Bhattacharyya considered the increase in the number of female representatives in

decision making bodies not only a crucial factor for progress, but also a basic human right.

Mrs. Diawara agreed to that, suggesting that, for example, at least 30 per cent of the seats

in decision making bodies should be taken by women. However, she explained that

difficulties might arise from the organisation and the interests of the respective political

parties. Furthermore, there were three points she wanted to make:

1. Women need to realise that men do not give up decision making and ruling power to

women as a gift.

2. Women’s often lower level of education results in a tendency to accept decisions, which

they never would have if they had been better educated.

3. Relating back to previous discussion points, she said that there is only one female taxi

driver in the whole Bamako area.

In Mali, there is a law on the equality between men and women. However, the reality is very

different from that law, which also has something to do with the fact that the majority of the

population is Islamic, and therefore obliges foremost religious rather than civic rules. But

women are increasingly getting organised, and they start to fight for their rights. As a reaction

to this, the government has now opened its doors to women allowing them to take on a more

active role in decision making.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer said that in order to better include women’s needs, they first have to be

asked what they really want. Second, their wishes have to be taken seriously. And third,

more women need to join urban administration and politics and be equipped with the

competencies and responsibilities to act.



Mrs. Dandavino referred to the necessity of changing the existing methods of transport

providers to statistically identify their clientele. Another important aspect, especially in cities

with a high influx of people from different countries and different cultural backgrounds, is that

migrant women, or women with a migrant background, need to be specifically addressed and

contacted in order to really reach them and find out about their needs. Again, this requires

special efforts from transport planners and urban managers.

Mr. Kheirabadi added that in the city of Mashhad, most ‘other’ groups are not represented in

the decision making process at all. Only one out of 11 city councillors is female. According to

Mr. Kheirabadi, there are opportunities for women to participate in higher management

levels; however, they do not, which is deemed unfortunate. There are female representatives

in planning and research, but there is a lack of women at the executive level.

The moderator then closed the session by thanking the participants for their engagement,

participation and the sharing of information.


Résumé and Outlook 38

Mrs. Junge-Reyer

Closing Remarks

Mrs. Junge-Reyer thanked all of the participants for the interesting presentations, speeches

and lively participation in the discussions. She expressed her wish that the exchange of

information and the expression of notions and opinions that had taken place throughout the

day might lead to the generation of new ideas and inspiration on how to deal with social

objectives in transportation. Additionally, she thanked the speakers personally for having

honestly and frankly spoken about the situation in and experiences from their cities, even

though, and especially because, these have not always been successful or positive. In fact,

she stated: “Perhaps this is one of the most important aspects of this congress: that we get

together with colleagues who know exactly how difficult it sometimes is to work successfully.”

Furthermore, it might well be that within the next year some cities achieve considerable

progress with regard to the issues debated here so that a follow-up discussion during the

next meeting appears to be worthwhile.

Mrs. Junge-Reyer closed the session by inviting the representatives to also participate in the

next meeting of Commission 4 which will be held in the city of Seoul in 2007. There, the main

subject of consideration will be financing of urban mobility.

Mrs. Diana Runge, Mr. Hans-Joachim Becker, Technical University Berlin

Résumé and Outlook

Note: The following is based on the documentation at hand and might therefore differ from the respective topic in

the conference agenda.

The topic of mobility and social cohesion is one that contains in itself a multitude of aspects.

The complexity is further enhanced by the interaction of factors that exist partly outside the

transport sector as such. Thus, regarding urban and transport management and planning, it

is often difficult not only to consider this topic, but also to address it in a strategic and

practical manner. However, it is encouraging to see that all over the world the problem has

not only been perceived and acknowledged, but that concrete measures are being put into

place.

The adoption of the Berlin Declaration on Sustainable Urban Mobility Management can be

seen as an important step towards raising awareness and encouraging action also, and

particularly, with regard to topics that lay outside the traditional fields of action of transport



planning. While the Declaration addresses a number of topics, the discussions carried out

within Commission 4 led to the selection of Mobility and Social Cohesion as the first subject

to be comprehensively worked on. The meeting in Toronto had thus been prepared in order

to share information and knowledge, in both theory and practice, and to identify further steps

to be taken.

The session showed that in the majority of cases, the measures and strategies presented by

the city representatives initially had not been targeted at fostering social cohesion. Instead,

they had been developed with the intention to solve other transport-related problems ranging

from environmental, management and service aspects to more widely addressing aspects of

urban development.

For example, the Seoul bus policy reform evolved out of the precarious conditions that had

prevailed in the city’s public transport sector during the years before the reform. However, by

developing the Concept of the Weak and by including aspects of demographic change, social

conditions appear to have advanced as well. Additionally, the broad participatory approach

provided for better planning and higher acceptance both of which are necessary conditions

for more socially just transportation.

Likewise, Kolkata’s efforts to apply a wider perspective on urban poverty are likely to produce

transport concepts which will differ from those simply considering economic and income

aspects. Also, the Kolkata presentation showed that poor people are well aware of the

important role that transport plays in the fulfilment of their daily tasks. Moreover, the reaction

of the authorities to this problem is encouraging in that they show the manner in which a

mutual learning process had been initiated, which has also influenced the way transport and

resettlement planning are now carried out in the metropolitan area. What is more, the

presented case study also proved that addressing social issues is by no means a one-way

street. In other words, successfully addressing people’s needs enables them to make use of

existing potentials and to develop new ones, which might in the long-term improve their living

conditions and those of the entire area. This was shown particularly with regard to enhanced

economic development along newly provided transport routes for the urban poor.

Toronto, as a representative of cities in highly developed western societies, revealed yet

another different and interesting perspective. There, economic conditions are favourable,

living conditions are high, and the transport systems are technologically and organisationally

well advanced. However, the prevailing dominance of the private car and the inability to

counterbalance developments like urban sprawl, which leads to the deterioration of the urban

environment as well as to pollution and social dispersion, is a major cause of concern.



Nevertheless, it was shown that by approaching the situation not from a negative, problem-

centred angle, but by instead adopting a positive perspective and considering the manifold

assets of urban environments, solutions can be found that might eventually be more

successful than the traditional approaches. It had therefore been suggested that the

promotion of mixed uses in walkable communities and the improvement of mobility options

that allow people to move around freely in healthy urban environments will contribute greatly

to more socially balanced neighbourhoods. Also, local initiatives often possess the will, the

power and the means to contribute to shifting the underlying paradigms of urban and

transport development away from big, infrastructure dominated projects towards more small-

scale and promising approaches.

The importance of adopting new paradigms, new ways of thinking and new approaches was,

moreover, highlighted during the round table discussion lead by the mayors of different cities.

The discussion was characterised by great frankness and honesty, and the statements did

not recoil from also identifying shortcomings in current transport policy, from outlining

difficulties with developing and implementing transport measures and from naming barriers –

institutional, structural, financial and also individual – that prevent the paradigm shifts to be

followed by the appropriate actions.

This had most comprehensively and impressively been demonstrated by the representative

from Puebla de Zaragoza. However, the outlined Five Keys to Sustainable Transport, which

are suggested to henceforth guide transport planning in the city, are of such value that they

might also inspire decision makers from other countries. In contrast, the inputs from the

developing cities opened up a much wider range of problems and lines of thinking which call

out for deeper investigation.

The second major topic of the meeting, the relation between Gender, Transport and Equality

of Chances, provided the opportunity to move on from the overall topic of social cohesion to

a more defined area of concern. The two introductory keynote speeches outlined the scope

and scale of the topic in all its complexity.

They provided information on the background of gender differences in transport demand and

on the consequences for the daily life of women. Furthermore, reasons for the as yet only

sporadical consideration of this subject by transport planners were identified, and the

coherent implementation of measures and strategies for remedying the gender bias in

transport were proposed. The speeches outlined in a most detailed way that the differences

between men and women are largely based on the perception of gender in the respective

country. Additionally, the hypothesis was raised that the more traditional the allocation of



gender roles, the less opportunities are given to women, first, to realise their transport needs,

and second, to become actively involved in transport planning and decision making on the

strategic level. Moreover, and this holds true for all societies alike (albeit sometimes to a

different degree), the undervaluation of women’s tasks – be it within the sphere of household

and family responsibility or indeed with regard to their participation in the labour market and

the (e.g. in Mali) informal sector – is one of the keys to the lack of women’s participation.

It was argued that societies which strive at overcoming role based inequality are more

advanced in identifying problems and solutions. Albeit, actual implementation often lags

behind. Moreover, the different cultural, traditional and religious backgrounds of societies

make careful and sensitive analysis of conditions necessary. Also, measures that work in

one country are often not appropriate in a different societal context.

This notion was most controversially discussed with regard to the segregation of men and

women in public transport. In many African, Asian and Arab countries, segregated seating

areas or even separate vehicles for the sexes give women the only opportunity to move

around freely and unmolested. The respective examples were provided by Mashhad, Kolkata

and Mexico. However, in North-America, Europe and parts of Latin America, such an

approach would not be acceptable for transport planners and users, both male and female,

as representatives from Berlin, Montreal and La Habana outlined.

Apart from allowing women to move in the city, separate services are also meant to improve

safety. Yet most representatives agreed that rather than detaching people from each other,

the approach should be to educate men and women so that they learn how to behave

towards each other and share the urban space. Stockholm and La Habana, two very different

cities with different cultural backgrounds indeed, strongly voted for this approach.

A further central question related to whether gender issues should be equated with the

concept of universal design. The debate revealed that universal design, a concept which

predominantly addresses the issue of barrier free accessibility, does indeed incorporate

some aspects of relevance in the gender context. These include the creation of walkable,

accessibly and comfortable urban and transport environments that enable people of different

physical conditions and, in the case of women, with the task of accompanying children or

elderly, to move around independently and free of restrictions. However, most participants

agreed that the concept is not extensive and far-reaching enough to capture all of the

dimensions of gender differences that lead to inequality of chances. Therefore, it was

suggested, for example by the Metropolis International Women Network, to widen the

concept considerably. However, this would involve the risk of diluting it to such a degree that



it would be applicable everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Moreover, strong

opposition to this was raised by stating that incorporating gender into universal design would

again mask the problems derived from the gender bias in society rather than revealing it,

which was regarded as counterproductive.

In summary, it became obvious throughout the discussions that even though there is

extensive knowledge on and awareness of gender based differences and inequalities in

transportation, moving from theory to action is a difficult undertaking. Also, gender issues in

transportation must not be reduced to the questions of physical accessibility and safety since

those are the ones more related to biological sex than to societal gender. In turn, addressing

these without addressing the wider background might lead to more comfortable travel

conditions but not to more equality and justice.

In general, the meeting of Commission 4 revealed a lot of interesting details, of complex

problems and diverse solutions. However, it became obvious that the current state of

planning with regard to social and gender aspects varies greatly depending on the

background conditions. Moreover, the inclusion of social objectives is by no means as

advanced as the consideration of the environmental and economic dimensions of

transportation. It remains an open question whether the awareness now raised and the ideas

already existent will achieve a more balanced development in the future. It had therefore

been suggested that, also with regard to the adopted Declaration, future meetings of

Commission 4 will be used to monitor progress and identify new steps to be taken. Moreover,

a number of participants called for a strengthening of co-operation among the Metropolis

cities that moves on from the sharing of knowledge and experience to the joint initiation and

implementation of measures and projects.

Commission 4 is taking these suggestions seriously. Regarding the latter, a training seminar

is to be initiated to allow for more factual knowledge transfer. This will be further elaborated

in the months following the Toronto meeting. Moreover, Commission 4 is compiling a

collection of case studies for Mobility and Social Cohesion / Gender that will be published

before the end of 2006.

The next meeting of Commission 4 will take place in May/June 2007 in Seoul and will

predominantly address the subject of Financing Urban Mobility. However, provided that

participants are interested, it is likely that progress made with regard to social cohesion might

also be included in the meeting agenda.

C MOBILITY H T E R XCLUSION CHANCE S N C R I L S P O U O …...Mr. Todd Litman, Victoria Transport...

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