Urban mobility and employment: Spatial Dynamics of Daily Mobility and Commuting Patterns in Peripheral Areas

Guzman-Monje V.; Revilla-Butron C. · Transportation Research Procedia (2025) · DOI: 10.1016/j.trpro.2025.12.124

Resumen

This research analyzes the relationship between urban accessibility, labor informality, and mobility patterns in the metropolitan area of Arequipa, Peru, using the district of Mariano Melgar as a case study. Using a mixed methodological approach that combines GIS spatial analysis with mental maps of informal workers, it examines the territorial distribution of formal and informal employment in relation to the public transportation system. The results reveal marked spatial segregation, with formal employment concentrated in the consolidated urban center, while informal employment is dispersed to the peripheries with limited public transport coverage. The analysis highlights a territorial paradox: administrative geographical proximity does not guarantee real accessibility, generating patterns of forced mobility that penalize informal workers with longer and more costly commutes. The findings confirm that Arequipa’s monocentric urban structure reproduces territorial inequalities that perpetuate cycles of informal employment, calling for integrated urban policies that articulate territorial planning, local economic development, and more equitable transportation systems to promote social inclusion and sustainable urban mobility.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa