| dc.description.abstract | In this paper, I evaluate urban mobility in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro, giving special consideration to the public transport system, in order to answer the question of whether or not Rio’s mobility system leads to greater social inclusion or exclusion. My work fits into the larger academic scholarship on the Right to the City, which is a radical call for a transformed and renewed right to urban life. It is “the right to create a different, inclusive and livable city, [and] requires the formulations and appropriations of these different uses of spaces by civil society; citizens taking control of urban planning” (Lefebvre 1996, p. 173). Although urban planning encompasses many aspects, mobility is a foundational concern. If addressed properly it can serve to bring society together and contribute to the participation of the population in local development. Addressed properly in this sense means not in isolation. Urban mobility should be seen in a comprehensive manner, requiring not only transport related solutions, but also solutions relating to land use and planning. However, when mobility is restricted, as in Rio, there is no social inclusion, and for those not included, there is no real right to the city. The mobility system in the RMRJ does not serve those who are most in need of it. Instead, the poor public transport system further aggravates social exclusion. | en_US |
