Situating Equitable Infrastructure: Differentiated Cycling Planning in Mexico City and Toronto

Source abstract

The equitable distribution of infrastructure is a central concern of planning theory and practice. Developing an inter-urban comparison of bicycle equity policies in Mexico City and Toronto, the paper leverages their distinct intra-urban differences to examine how planners prioritize sites for intervention, evaluate situated impacts, and adapt infrastructure configurations. Foregrounding how sociomaterial context mediates infrastructure provision, the paper identifies tensions between greater distributional equity and the pursuit of equal conditions. This analysis suggests that critical attention to the logics and practices whereby programmes of infrastructure provision are extended and adapted can contribute to equitable infrastructure planning and inclusive urban development.