Buying a car and the street: Transport justice and urban space distribution

Abstract

In dense cities, the smaller the consumption of land per inhabitant, the more disruptive the use of individual transport as a sustainable transport mode. The impact of private vehicles on transport justice in the spatial dimension is worse there. The unbalanced distribution of street space in dense cities implies considerable challenges for sustainable transport. This paper explores the relationships between mode share, street space distribution, and those spaces’ construction costs. Based on justice principles, the paper discusses a fair distribution of street space in Bogotá, where injustices are apparent. We find imbalances in the prioritization of space for specific street users, with an accent on space for private motorization despite a visible change in investment in other spaces for urban mobility in recent years. Findings provide empirical evidence for informing policy and decision-making related to public investment in urban space and its distribution in practice.