Assessment for the Social Sustainability and Equity under the Perspective of Accessibility to Jobs

Abstract

Social sustainability is a dimension of the concept of sustainability that has gained importance only in the last few decades and can be identified as the pursuit and measure of social equity. Equity can be analyzed under two approaches: horizontal and vertical. The horizontal approach considers the distribution of benefits equally, while the vertical equity considers these same benefits, but between specific groups, which is an adequate approach when dealing with policy-related topics, such as tariff subsidy. Accessibility is a factor that contributes to urban social sustainability and it may be a representation of physical and/or social barriers in the urban environment. Thus, this paper aims to assess social sustainability under a vertical equity approach, based on accessibility to jobs, for different population groups, comparing public with individual motorized transport. The case study was carried out in Medellín-Colombia, using data from the 2017 Home Destination Survey. It was found that users of individual transport have access to a greater number of jobs than users of public transport. In addition, those with higher income have better accessibility than those with lower income, even though they are not beneficiaries of tariff subsidy policies. Another highlight is that areas closer to the central region are also more accessible. In some specific communes, it would be indicated to seek to improve access through public transport, or the implementation of some public policy at the municipal level that could have an impact on access to opportunities.

Barriers to institutional social sustainability

“…Only more recently has social sustainability been receiving additional attention (Chatterji 2021 ), to become an integral part of our daily societal agenda (Shirazi and Keivani 2019 ). This is corroborated by Guimarães et al ( 2020 ).…”

“…For Guimarães et al ( 2020 ), it is necessary to understand whether the practices developed in the context of the desired social sustainability achievement are correlated to what is really anticipated, i.e. whether the social sustainability benefits are happening according to a horizontal or vertical approach.…”

Promoting Women's Well-Being Through Socially Sustainable Urban Transport: A Developing Country Study

“…Social sustainability, encompassing equity, quality of life, and community cohesion, has gained prominence in the trajectory of urban development (Paidakaki & Lang, 2021;Jabbari et al, 2021). Despite its often-associated environmental focus, the nexus between sustainable urban transport and social sustainability is crucial, especially for impacting diverse populations, including marginalized groups (Guimarães et al, 2020).…”

“…Social sustainability in urban transportation involves accessibility, safety, and inclusivity. Accessibility ensures unimpeded access, transcending physical and economic constraints (Guimarães et al, 2020;Ghorbanzadeh et al, 2018). A socially sustainable transportation matrix serves all societal strata, ensuring equitable access (Zakharov et al, 2018;Yuan et al, 2018).…”

“…Safety is crucial for social sustainability, mitigates traffic-related fatalities, fosters secure urban spaces, and contributes to social cohesion (Makarova et al, 2016;Wawer et al, 2022). Livability, intertwined with well-being and public health, characterizes a high quality of life and efficient transportation networks (Ding et al, 2021;Guimarães et al, 2020).…”