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Rapid population growth and urban sprawl have expanded built-up areas, affecting flood patterns in cities. Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) have gained significant attention by attempting to replicate natural pre-development drainage conditions. This paper presents a new transdisciplinary methodology for assessing the potential feasibility of 12 different SUDS typologies by considering physical restrictions and six types of contextual barriers. The approach integrates input from academic and non-academic actors, fuzzy logic, geographic information system tools, and multi-criteria decision analysis. A neighborhood in Bogotá, Colombia, was selected as the unit of analysis, framing a relevant case study for highly urbanized areas. The findings demonstrate the differential impact of local context constraints and emphasize the importance of comprehensive approaches to SUDS planning that consider criteria other than technical. The methodology is a tool to support architects, engineers, urban planners, and urban water decision-makers in the planning of sustainable and flood-resilient cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban areas encompass essential social functions that are fundamental for the development and quality of life. This research explores why the concept of the 15-minute city, while commendable in its aspirations, might fall short in effectively mitigating urban inequalities, especially within densely populated and segregated developing cities. Using Bogotá (Colombia) as a case study, this paper advocates and develops a standardized index based on the availability of essential urban functions within a 15-minute walking distance. This index also integrates individual preferences, geographical attributes, and the quality of pedestrian infrastructure. Doing so provides a more comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing proximity, accommodating the diverse needs of various social identities. Considering individual preferences towards proximity is critical to comprehend the determinants of accessibility, encompassing the relevance of sociodemographic characteristics. Although several urban areas worldwide may meet the broad interpretation of the 15-minute city concept, our research reveals significant disparities among population segments regarding access to urban services and their prioritization. Our case study found that grocery stores and healthcare facilities hold paramount importance across all population segments. Furthermore, wealthy segments exhibit a heightened preference for retail shops and commercial services. In contrast, the low-income population has a considerably greater preference for healthcare facilities. This study aims to cast light upon structural disparities inherent in urban areas, thereby unveiling inequalities in the 15-minute city concept's capacity to diagnose and mitigate urban inequalities. The promotion of a more all-encompassing and inclusive measurement approach is posited as a contribution to the advancement of our comprehension and the effective implementation of the 15-minute city concept across heterogeneous urban landscapes. • This paper advocates for the development of a standardized index based on urban functions within a 15-minute walking distance. • The 15-minute city concept must include, besides proximity to opportunities, the quality of pedestrian infrastructure. • The index integrates individual preferences to understand the determinants of proximity, including sociodemographic attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth has led to the intensification of average daily traffic (ADT), highlighting vehicles as one of the major sources of heavy metal (HM) pollution in cities. The objective of this paper is to conduct a spatial analysis of the HM pollution associated with road-deposited sediments (RDSs), based on the ADT observed in the main roads of a Latin American megacity (Bogotá, Colombia). The following risk indices were considered: Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Integrated Pollution Index (IPI), Ecological Risk Index (ERI), Comprehensive Potential Ecological Risk Index (CERI), Hazard Index (HI), and Carcinogenic Risk Index (CRI). The findings confirm that a size fraction < 250 μm is the most suitable for studying the risk of HMs in the RDS from the indices considered. The best HMs indicative of the relationship with ADT are Ni, Cu, and Pb. The Pb is the HM of most attention, and Cr gains positions for its toxicity level during the evaluation of ecological, non-carcinogenic, and carcinogenic risks, respectively. Finally, the linear regression models developed between ADT and each of the risk indices considered have a better fit (R2 > 0.910) compared to the linear regression models developed between ADT and HM concentrations (R2 > 0.322). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walking for transportation is a common and accessible means of achieving recommended physical activity levels, while providing important social and environmental co-benefits. Even though walking in rapidly growing urban areas has become especially challenging given the increasing dependence on motorised transportation, walking remains a major mode of transportation in Latin American cities. In this paper we aimed to quantify self-reported walking for transportation in Mexico City, Bogota, Santiago de Chile, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires, by identifying both walking trips that are conducted entirely on foot and walking events involved in trips mainly conducted on other means of transportation (e.g. private vehicle, public transit) among individuals ≥5-years old. We show how walking-only trips account for approximately 30% trips in the analysed cities, and we evidence how the pedestrian dimension of mobility is largely underestimated if walking that is incidental to other transportation modes is not accounted for: when considering all walking events, we observed an increase between 73% and 217% in daily walking time. As a result, we estimated that between 19% and 25% of residents in these cities meet the WHO physical activity guidelines solely from walking for transportation. The results of the study also suggest that the promotion of public transportation in large Latin American cities can especially help certain population groups achieve the daily recommended levels of physical activity, while among low-income groups accessibility and safety seem to be the key challenges to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of urban land in Latin American cities has been extensive over the last 30 years. Urbanisation has grown considerably, and, according to the United Nations, it is expected that approximately 70% of the population will live in large cities by the year 2050. This process leads to more complex urban relations, more intense suburbanisation, larger settlements in the peripheral areas of cities and, subsequently, a significant reduction of urban green infrastructure. The aim of this paper is to assess whether the expansion areas defined in different planning instruments generate urban inclusion and are aligned with the already consolidated urban area. The case study areas are represented by the municipalities of Chía and Cajicá in the northern suburbs of Bogotá city, which have a strong integration with the central city. The methodology integrates data from municipal land use plans and the spatial syntax method to visualise the effect of expansion on urban morphology. The results obtained show that Chía presents an area of greater integration than Cajicá, specifically the centre of the municipality, in which there is a high level of functionality with respect to the new expansion areas defined in the Master Plan. This study concludes that the new expansion areas should be developed on the central axes, where the highest integration values are located, and at a greater distance from natural elements such as rivers. Finally, the methodological approach can be replicated to analyse other urban areas and support decision-making on urban functionality and expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Increasing parking costs, limiting parking, and promoting bicycle lead to car use reduction. • Technology plays a crucial role to implement, control, and promote van/carpooling. • Provision of company bus services is not to an effective strategy to discourage car use. • It is important design Mobility Plans considering pull (carrots) and push (sticks) measures. Work trips contribute the most to congestion during peak hours in urban areas. For that reason, public and private organizations can play a relevant part by developing mobility plans (MPs) to propose possible strategies to confronting congestion. Although MP strategies such as the promotion of active and public transport modes, the implementation of parking policies, telecommuting, and flexible work schedules have gained popularity for addressing traffic congestion in recent years, there has been a lack of studies reporting on the potential impact of their implementation in organizations located in Global South cities. This paper evaluates the modal choice by drivers (cars and motorcycles) in response to a series of specific mobility strategies if MPs are implemented by mid-size and large public and private organizations in the city of Bogotá (Colombia). The modal share of employee trips after implementing different travel demand management instruments was evaluated using a stated preference survey. The results of this study suggest that substantial increases of parking charges in the organization's vicinity are likely to lead to the highest reduction of private cars use and the highest modal share increase for public transport, carpooling, bicycling, and walking. The provision of company bus services seems not to be as the most effective strategy to discourage employees from using a car. Then, these plans should contain a combination of strategies rather than consider them separately to increase the possibility of achieving better results. Also, more studies evaluating the potential success of organizations adopting MPs in the cities of the Global South are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paradigm shift in water management is recognized as a necessary and fundamental step for adaptation to climate change and crucial for furthering sustainability. In contexts of rapid urbanization, this paradigm shift is particularly challenged since social and environmental needs often come into conflict. In Bogotá, as other Latin-American cities, demands for new housing are increasing daily, while the overall housing deficit remains an unresolved problem. Currently, the city faces the challenges to deal with the pressure to continue to urbanize flood prone areas with low-cost housing projects and simultaneously protect these areas in view of flooding, which promise to increase with the predictions of climate change. In order to contribute to context-responsive solutions to the water and housing issues, this paper investigates the shifting relations between settlement patterns, water infrastructure and landscape in Bogotá's El Tintal watershed. This sub-watershed of the Bogotá River has a rich history of formal and informal low-cost housing. The critical reading of the landscape transformation of the El Tintal has shown how the water system interventions were and can be instrumental in different stages of development. This reading was the base to elaborate design investigations that could translate to spatial adaptation measures. This paper argues that “soft” water management tools can be part of a twofold strategy to create spatial quality and provide resilience for more qualitative future urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While modern urban planning has traditionally been shaped by policies and instruments from European and North American cities, in recent decades there has been an increase in South-South policy learning and a number of cities of the global South have emerged as alternative urban planning models. Yet, less is known about the practices through which urban policy actors in cities of the South learn from other Southern cities’ policies. This paper examines the case of Guadalajara, Mexico, where different local public and private actors introduced a new policy issue—sustainable transportation—in the local and state government agenda making extensive references to Bogotá, Colombia. Study tours are identified as key practices that facilitated the adoption of Bogotá’s transportation policies in Guadalajara. Using qualitative and ethnographic methods, I show that study tours were powerful instruments to promote policy change thanks to their capacity to: (1) educate the attention of influential local policy actors through hands-on “experiential learning”; (2) expand local coalitions through the building of trust and consensus around a policy model; and (3) mobilize public opinion through references to already existing policies. In doing so, I suggest that study tours should be conceptualized as both learning and governance instruments that a variety of actors can use to translate their shifting beliefs of how the city should be organized into public policy. The analysis of the actors that organized these tours also reveals the friction between local and transnational agendas shaping the apparent South-South circulations of Bogotá's transportation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are all too few examples of good urban governance in the ‘South’. One city which improved its performance dramatically after 1992 was Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. It joined the ranks of exemplar cities and its former mayors toured the world advertising this ‘miracle’. Unfortunately, after 2008, the city’s administration became mired in corruption and its image ratings have dived. The current administration has so far failed to revive trust in the city’s governance. Based on interviews with key personalities in the city, this paper examines the causes of Bogotá’s recovery and its recent relapse. Bogotá’s experience is useful to students of urban governance in showing not only how a city in the ‘South’ can improve its performance but also that any improvement is fragile. A decent working relationship between technocrats and politicians is critical in guaranteeing both public support and progress in implementing major public works. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• The paper describes a particular trip served by the bicycle: taking children to school. • It shows significant gender differences in travel behavior, influenced by individual, social, and physical factors. • Female cyclists are perceived as caregivers and belonging to the private sphere of the household. • Male cyclists performing the mobility of care exhibit toxic masculinity in their rides. • Female cyclists are vulnerable in the public sphere and strategize against this vulnerability. Urban cycling and mobility of care are in the spotlight of scholarly pursuits and policy agendas that promote sustainable and inclusive cities in the Global South. Recent research highlights the mobility of care as a differentiated type of mobility that mostly women execute. Additional literature focuses on the importance of improving health and environmental conditions through cycling. The connection between both bodies of literature has opened a space to consider how caregivers use the bicycle to perform their care duties. The Transport Gender Lab of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) financed a study focused on collecting data and developing a strategy to improve the safety conditions of cycling trips in which adults transport children to school. The study followed a mixed-methods approach that included focus groups and surveys in four districts of the city of Bogotá. Based on the data from that study, the main objective of this paper is to explore how entrenched gender stereotypes intersect with the mobility patterns of male and female cyclists who take children to school in the four districts. It focuses on three particular gender stereotypes: women's characterization as main caregivers, men's exercise of toxic masculinity, and women's vulnerability in the public sphere. The paper further aims at providing policy recommendations for mobility planning with a gender perspective that can contribute to increase women's safety and usage of bicycles to take their kids to school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Capabilities Approach is gaining relevance as a theoretical approach that can contribute to consider issues of mobility and justice. The approach helps to better understand how everyday urban mobility can contribute to individuals' capabilities, that is, their ability to freely be and do what one has reason to value. However, in relation to mobility the Capabilities Approach is still missing operational tools that can consider individual specificities and go beyond aggregate evaluations of urban transport systems. Drawing on a research project on urban mobility and human capabilities in Bogotá, the paper discusses how microstories of individual everyday mobilities could be a suitable analytical tool for describing the plural relationship between mobilities and capabilities. Microstories, defined as short accounts of personal everyday mobility experiences, help to account for the features that facilitate or impede individual mobility, and consider the manifold uses of mobility as achieved by each person, according to one's individual choices. The paper discusses three potential contributions of microstories: integrating established evaluative approaches, such as accessibility measures; providing elements for the design of more effective policy actions; expressing features of the mobility experience that, despite their relevance for personal preferences and behaviours, are difficult to include within aggregate evaluations. The usability of microstories as interpretative and operational tools is examined in the light of the obtained results and in relation to policy making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water is critical to improving the health and welfare of the expanding urban populations of the South. Unfortunately, few cities in poor countries have managed to develop institutions able to supply the poor with water, let alone take away the waste. One city that has managed to do so is Bogotá, Colombia. The results of this public company are impressive and have been achieved by adopting some elements of neo-liberal economic thought and by maintaining independence from political pressure. Recently, however, the water company's operations, and particularly its efficiency and pricing policy, have come under attack from a new left-of-centre mayor. The paper explores the legitimacy of some of the attacks and examines whether they constitute fair political debate or a means of undermining what, by the standards of the South, is an effective company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is the practice of capturing and storing stormwater for later use. In addition to being an alternative source of water for non-potable applications, RWH is also used to effectively reduce stormwater runoff volumes and pollutant loads dropped into sewage systems. RWH is typically carried out by placing a variety of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) in different locations of the urban landscape. However, because of the staggering number of potential combinations of SUDS typologies and spatial configurations that can be used, identifying a strategy that optimally selects and allocates SUDS to maximize the benefits of RWH is a complex endeavor. One of the challenges that emerges during the optimal design and location of these systems is incorporating the inherent uncertainty of the rainfall. In this paper, we develop a flexible computational framework that couples a Geographic Information System (GIS) with a two-stage stochastic mixed integer linear program (TS-MILP) to select and locate SUDS in order to minimize the use of potable water for irrigation and reduce the water runoff at a minimum cost. This framework incorporates an iterative participatory approach to engage stakeholders in the decision-making process. We tested the proposed methodology on a case study for the central campus at Universidad de Los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia). Our results showed that the expected value of the total runoff volume and the consumption of potable water can be reduced up to 67% and 50%, respectively. • A flexible computational framework to select and allocate SUDS was developed. • The objectives are minimizing the use of potable water for irrigation and reducing the water runoff at a minimum cost. • A Geographic Information System (GIS) is coupled with a two-stage stochastic mixed integer linear program (TS-MILP). • The proposed methods can be easily adapted to incorporate a wide variety of stakeholder requirements or preferences. • An iterative participatory approach is used to include stakeholders in the decision-making process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze the changes that have been produced in the temperature, humidity, precipitation, and edaphic parameters due to the presence of vertical gardens in the wetland "La Vaca" in Bogotá (Colombia). There are some conflicts in this wetland regarding the uses of the land due to the illegal urbanization settlements in flood-prone zones; to which a loss of the natural space of the wetland and the effects of climate warming is added. For this reason, vertical gardens are presented as an alternative for the solution to the aforementioned problems, since their implementation can act as a control barrier to possible floods considering their properties of water retention and temperature control. This work also sets its sight on knowing what changes have been produced in the environmental variables mentioned before with the presence of vertical gardens, and also on studying its temporal and spatial variability in the environment of the study area. The investigation begins with the installation of three vertical gardens with floating vegetation systems, installation of drip irrigation, and organic fertilizer built from the invasive vegetation of the wetlands. Subsequently, in the absence of vertical gardens, control areas are proposed for comparison with climatic and edaphic measurements. Finally, different statistical analyzes are performed, such as the comparison of means with parametric and non-parametric tests, among others, to determine spatial differences, and the changes that have been produced in time series. Vertical gardens are an alternative of "green growth" that make it possible to restore green areas and Riparian Buffer Zones in wetlands, using the resources of the environment to reduce costs in possible floods and the effects that are generated by climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]