This is the recordning from the first Research Forum in VREF:s mini series – Celebrating 5 years of research results on mobility and access in SSA through the MAC program. The series takes place in September – November 2024 and the purpose is to highlight new knowledge production and results from research projects which have been carried out by scholars in the MAC community and which have strong relevance for understanding core dimensions of transport, mobility and access in African cities. What are some of the overriding thematic issues that have been explored in the program so far – and with what conceptual and empirical results?
Research Forum #1 in the series was held 18 September and focused on:
Equity in mobility & access in Sub Saharan Africa – concepts, perspectives, approaches
Background
Issues related to equity in transportation have been a central focus of many research projects within VREFs program “Mobility & Access in African Cities” in the past five years. While some work has focused empirically on the accessibility needs and conditions of specific groups, other research has explored conceptual approaches and tools for interpreting equity issues more broadly. The purpose of this Forum is to discuss perspectives, conceptual approaches and tools for analyzing various dimensions of equity in mobility & access in SSA. Presentations will discuss both specific analytical concepts as well as examples of how these concepts may be applied in empirical work. This Research Forum is the first in a series of three webinars “Celebrating 5 years of research results on mobility & access in SSA” in September – November 2024. Each Forum will focus on a specific theme which has strong relevance for understanding issues related to transport, mobility and access in Sub-Saharan African cities.
Program
Welcome and framing the Forum: Henrik Nolmark, VREF Director
Keynote:
“Studying Transport Justice or Promoting Transport Justice on the Ground: two worlds apart?”
Karel Martens, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Short Q&A
Presentations:
Anne Kamau, University of Nairobi
”The Social Justice Principle as an Instrument for Studying Public Transport Equity in Sub-Saharan Africa”
Mark Zuidgeest, University of Cape Town
“Measuring Transport Equity in Low-income Societies: a capability approach”
Violet Wawire, Kenyatta University
Intersectionality as a conceptual tool for exploring inequities in mobility & access in SSA”
Commentators:
Gift Dumedah, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
Gail Jennings, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Enoch Sam, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana
Plenary discussion
Moderator: Winnie Mitullah, University of Nairobi
Rapporteur: Mary Mwangi, University of Nairobi
