[sustran] poverty alleviation and basic mobility

[Paul Barter]

Walter Hook wrote:
....
>I am currently working on a policy paper for the United Nations Development
>Program, and am seeking additional sources which quantify the relationship
>between urban transport policies and projects and urban poverty.  I have
>excellent rural data but am finding there to be little on transport and
>poverty in urban areas.   Any sources you may know of, I would be grateful.

It would be very worrying if it is true that this topic is getting little
serious research attention. But I am glad the UNDP is looking into it.

By the way, this issue will be one of four major topics addressed at  the
International Forum on Urban Poverty in Florence, Italy, from 14 to 19
September 1997. It is a follow-up to last year's Istanbul Habitat II
conference. I think Prof. V Setty Pendakur is going to give the keynote
address on this issue at the conference.  For more information contact:
Brian Williams, Human Settlements Officer, United Nations Centre for Human
Settlements (HABITAT), <brian.williams at unchs.org>.

I guess for detailed data you may have to dig into unpublished sources such
as consultants' feasibility studies for urban projects. Some which I have
seen (especially studies of mass transit proposals) address questions of
affordability by the poorest quintile and would provide you with useful
data.  Social impact sections of road feasibility studies (such as they
are) may also provide information.

Some references and contacts (I am sure this is nothing like exhaustive!!):

Dimitriou, H. T. (1993). Responding to the Transport Needs of the Urban
Poor. In CODATU VI Conference of Urban Transportation in Developing
Countries,  Tunis.
(Prof. Harry Dimitriou can be reached at: <harrytd at i4.auc.dk>)

I think Prof George Banjo from Nigeria is also an authority on this issue:
Department of Civil Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos
Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria.
Tel: +2341-823234    Fax: +2341-2661674/ 4971015

The transport chapter of the following gives some brief treatment of urban
poverty, transport and equity issues in low income countries:   Linn, J. F.
(1983). Cities in Developing Countries: Policies for  their Equitable and
Efficient Growth. Oxford: World Bank Research Publication, Oxford
University Press.

In the North American context, Todd Litman (e-mail:  litman at islandnet.com)
of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute has done some very good work on
transport policy and equity. Principles, basic arguments and references
from his work may be useful even if his focus is North America. He keeps up
with the literature on this. A synopsis of all his publications is on his
web page: http://www.islandnet.com/~litman

Has the UK based, Transport Research Laboratory (TRL)  (overseas
department) done anything on this? They would be a likely bet.   I would
think there should also be some work on this from India.  Have you checked
the papers from the last CODATU which was in Delhi?

I am no expert in this particular issue so I am sure there must be many
other sources out there.  Anyone else?

A. Rahman Paul Barter
Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia & the Pacific (SUSTRAN)
c/- AP2000,  PO Box 12544,  50782 Kuala Lumpur,  Malaysia.
Fax: +60 3 253 2361,  E-mail: tkpb at barter.pc.my