| Résumé: |
The aim of this thesis is to assess the condition of transport disadvantage and its impact on individuals’ social exclusion in the context of socioeconomically-deprived neighborhoods in cities situated in developed countries, by focusing on the neighborhood of Brownsville, in New York City. Through semi-structured interviews, a specific framework of analysis of transport-related social exclusion and the operationalization of the concept of motility, this paper explores the strategies used to manage individual travel needs, as well as their priorities and perceptions in a context of rather insufficient access to public transportation due to both territorial and individual factors. The results yielded from this study reveal that, despite an acceptable amount of transportation options, residents of Brownsville often face barriers with their accessibility. More specifically, factors that are within the individual such as financial unaffordability, fear and health issues are those that are seen to pose a significant challenge to their mobility practices, and these problems are amplified by New York City’s overall public transportation crisis, which is mainly felt in outer low-income areas. However, such barriers are not reported to significantly limit their degree of mobility, as they have developed a skilled set of coping strategies that have allowed them to overcome most of the obstacles they face. As a result, mobility is not seen to play a determining role on their degree of social exclusion, but there is no doubt that increased accessibility would further strengthen their participation in society. |
Mémoire [3 Mo]