The Impacts of an Urban Cable Car System on Liveability: A Mixed Methods Study in Bogotá, Colombia

Abstract

Cable cars represent an integral element of urban transport systems designed to connect underserved communities in Latin America. However, evaluations of the liveability impacts of cable cars are scarce. The TransMiCable cable car in Colombia connects the peripheral neighbourhoods of Ciudad Bolívar with the integrated public transport system of Bogotá. This study assessed the effect of TransMiCable on domains of liveability, including transport, public open space, social cohesion, local democracy, and security. Urban Transformations and Health: The Case of TransMiCable in Bogotá was a natural experiment involving participatory mixed methods. Household surveys, the Our Voice citizen science research method, and the Ripple Effects Mapping technique were applied to capture baseline measurements before TransMiCable’s inauguration and follow-up measurements afterwards in both intervention and control areas. Following a simultaneous bidirectional approach, quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed separately, then merged for interpretation. The mixed methods approach revealed concordance and complementarity among the multiple effects of the TransMiCable intervention across domains of liveability. These impacts included shorter travel times, increased satisfaction with public transport, increased access to parks, perceived reduction in the neighbourhood’s social stigma, increased pride in community, and decreased perceived insecurity. The participatory process facilitated dialogue between community leaders and public sector decision-makers on the ways transportation interventions can improve liveability. This multisectoral engagement enabled a broad understanding of the ongoing transformation of the Ciudad Bolívar area after the implementation of TransMiCable, providing lessons for effectively engaging with local stakeholders to support the sustainability of urban transformations.

The effect of an urban Cable Car on Social Capital: the case of TransMiCable in Bogotá, Colombia

“…This participation was fostered by the implementation of TransMiCable might have favored the interaction among neighbors, therefore, enhancing the bridging SC in communities with the highest social disadvantages. Some evaluated impacts of TransMiCable reported in other articles 55 include reduced travel time, reduced exposure to pollutants 56 ,increased access to public parks, increased trust towards governmental institutions, improvements in women's health-related quality of life 57 , and high prevalence of active transport among TransMiCable and public transport users 58 . Altogether, these changes experienced in the community, represent an increased opportunities for social interactions among various segments of the community, which enables exchanging resources between social groups 30 and enhancing the well-being of the community.…”

Physical Activity and Obesity Risk in Adults in Colombia: The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study

“…In particular, walking for transport is part of everyday life in communities where there are low levels of income and high levels of informal work (9,10) (walking may be a light-intensity activity or a moderate-intensity activity, depending on age and fitness [11]). In the city of Bogotá in Colombia, for example, many people participate in more than 300 min of light-intensity physical activity per day (12) and spend more than 180 min traveling to and from work each day (13). To the best of our knowledge, there are no cohort studies about the longitudinal associations between physical activity and obesity in adults in Colombia or elsewhere in Latin America.…”