Accesibility to Basic Urban Services in Mbour City (Senegal): An Approach Based on Geographical Information System

Abstract

Abstract. The uneven spatial distribution of basic facilities within urban areas is a major problem for developing countries like Senegal due to the emphasis of accessibility disparities and the use of this services. The efforts to quantify the problem and its consequences on people are constrained by the lack of satisfactory data and methods. The study seeks to examine the spatial accessibility to basic services (access to water, health, education, economic infrastructure and transportation services) in a very heterogeneous urban system and to highlight inequalities in access for improving the geographical accessibility and to ensure equity. The article explore the use of spatial analysis method (Closest Facility) to measure the potential accessibility to services and facilities in the city of Mbour. The analyses uses all the inhabited houses of the city as the potential demand. Results emphasis unequal access to basic urban services in the city and a center-periphery model with a high concentration of services around the city. The study demonstrates the utility of this method for the identification of disadvantaged areas, decision making and planning of basic services. It also provides paths for improving accessibility in urban areas with a high density of population.

Spatial segregation and urban form in Mexican cities

“…the limitations that residents face in accessing their essential or preferred urban services. When access to resources is limited or even nonexistent, it can be seen as a social injustice because it is a barrier to improving the quality of life of the inhabitants (Macedo and Haddad, 2016;Rodrigue et al, 2009;Thiam et al, 2015;Weiss et al, 2018). The reduction of this and other types of inequalities has been a major theme on the global agenda for years, resulting in the United Nations considering it as a transversal term in the 17 goals to transform the world for 2030 (United Nations, 2015), putting 'them at the base of any national strategy against poverty and socio-economic development' (Thiam et al, 2015: 48).…”

“…When access to resources is limited or even non-existent, it can be seen as a social injustice because it is a barrier to improving the quality of life of the inhabitants (Macedo and Haddad, 2016; Rodrigue et al., 2009; Thiam et al., 2015; Weiss et al., 2018). The reduction of this and other types of inequalities has been a major theme on the global agenda for years, resulting in the United Nations considering it as a transversal term in the 17 goals to transform the world for 2030 (United Nations, 2015), putting ‘them at the base of any national strategy against poverty and socio-economic development’ (Thiam et al., 2015: 48). Besides being a transversal term, Goal 11 (Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable) is more specific about the objective that all cities should provide ‘opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation and more’ (United Nations, 2015).…”