Opinion – Claudio Bernardes: Lack of access to urban services can condemn generations to social exclusion

The pandemic exacerbated existing spatial inequalities in cities, and exposed vulnerabilities that were hitherto unnoticed. Now, we need to address the systemic repercussions related to housing, public spaces, basic services, mobility and connectivity to better understand their effects on social exclusion and, in this way, work towards making cities more egalitarian.

A recent report published by the WRI (World Resources Institute) warns of the so-called “sharing of urban services” between those who have access to services and those who do not. He highlights the global worsening of this access due to the unbridled and poorly managed growth of cities. In some urban centers, the number of people without access or with restricted access to public services grows to an astonishing 90% of residents.

The report summarizes six years of research by more than 30 authors and demonstrates that, as urbanization evolves, income alone is no longer enough to improve the quality of life and make a city prosperous. The study also points out that unequal access to high-quality, reliable and affordable infrastructure and essential services is reducing productivity, causing health problems, environmental damage and leaving people socially excluded for generations.

The way people experience the city is shaped by their connection to services and opportunities, that is, the way they have access to safe and affordable housing, adequate sanitation, reliable transportation, decent employment, health, education and other benefits linked to life. urban life. Studies show that unequal access to essential infrastructure can impact people’s lives far more from a long-term livelihood perspective than income inequalities.

According to the report, the benefits of improving access to key urban services combine and complement each other. To this end, the WRI researchers present seven crucial transformations and priority actions, which aim to show that it is possible to reimagine the provision of urban services, including the excluded, and creating conditions that allow permanent change.

The seven proposed transformations are: prioritizing the vulnerable in the design and execution of infrastructure; organize service delivery models based on partnerships with alternative service providers; improve the quality and systems of data and information collection, through community involvement; recognize the importance of supporting informal urban work; substantially and innovatively increase investment in infrastructure, directing resources where it is most needed; through better regulations, promote transparency and integrated spatial planning in urban land management; and positively transform governance, working for and with people, and building coalitions between public and private institutions to galvanize political action around a shared vision that can achieve lasting goals.

Certainly, different cities will find different ways to implement the necessary transformations that are more appropriate to the local context. But prioritizing these actions will go a long way in helping to bridge the gap in the provision of urban services and lead to greater social equity, with economic and environmental benefits felt by all and across the city.