INCLUSIVE CITIES

3.Lines for survival

1.The connective disconnection

5.The unleveled Playing Field

INCLUSIVE CITIES

By Isabella Ruiz Garza

2.The forced departure

6.Standing for Security

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Click on each image for more information...

4. Invisible neighbors

The forced departure

This image reflects the global challenges of immigration governance and exclusionary urban dynamics. In recent years many countries, especially first world countries, have increasingly implemented mass deportation and stricter border policies, particularly affecting migrants from Central America (CFR, 2025) whose deportation often leaves them stranded in border cities where access to housing employment and social services is limited. These practices create overcrowding and vulnerability, furthering social marginalization, globally there were over 281 million international migrants, only in 2020, many of them facing unsafe, legal and living conditions (UN DESA, 2021). These dynamics demonstrate how migration policies can undermine an exclusive city developed by excluding minorities.

Migrants from Central America stand near the Paso del Norte border bridge after being deported and seperated from their families from the United States, in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, on March 11, 2021. (REUTERS/Jose Luis González,2021)

TELEMUNDO. (2021, March 16).El Gobierno dice que está aceptando a los menores que cruzan solos la frontera pero no a solteros y familias https://www.telemundo.com/noticias/noticias-telemundo/inmigracion/el-gobierno-asegura-que-los-cruces-de-inmigrantes-en-la-frontera-estan-alcanzando-su-nivel-tmna3871685

Lines for survival

The above picture is symbolic of the wider problem of economic inequality and urban poverty, which has become increasingly prevalent across the world due to the impact of the global pandemic and inflation. In Argentina, high costs of living alongside reduced purchasing power due to low salaries have caused many residents to go hungry, especially those in poor urban neighborhoods (Al Jazeera, 2025). An estimated 735 million individuals around the world were going hungry by 2022, owing to existing economic inequalities and disparities regarding resource access (FAO, 2023).

Photo provided by Agustin Marcarian for REUTERS, taken on February 27, 2024 on Buenos Aires, Argentina, depicting Impoverished people waiting in line to receive food in a low-class neighborhood in the suburbs (REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian)

Álvarez, M. (2024, March 28). Pobreza en Argentina trepa a 41.7% en 2do semestre 2023: INDEC. Pobreza En Argentina Trepa a 41.7% En 2do Semestre 2023: INDEC. https://www.elimparcial.com/dinero/2024/03/28/pobreza-en-argentina-trepa-a-417-en-2do-semestre-2023-indec/

Standing for Security

This photo reflects the ongoing global struggles for women’s equality and safety, especially in an urban environment. Historically most cities have been designed to cater to the Privileged man, overlooking women's, and minorities' mobility, caregiving roles, and safety needs (Right to the city, 2020). In Latin America high rates of gender based violence, including femicides, have increased, public outreach specially, on international women's day (ECLAC, 2024). urban insecurity, highly affects woman’s access to a public space, transportation time management and economic opportunities almost one and three women, experience, physical or sexual violence in their lifetime (WHO, 2025). This demonstrates how social and spatial inequalities can intersect, making most cities exclusionary rather than inclusive.

Women marching in Mexico City on Sunday, March 8, 2026, to protest Women’s rights, safety and bodily autonomy, marking International Women's Day. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme, 2026)

Univision. (2026, March). Fotos del 8M en el mundo: Marchas por el Día Internacional de la Mujer trascienden fronteras.https://www.univision.com/noticias/mundo/fotos-del-8m-en-el-mundo-marchas-por-el-dia-internacional-de-la-mujer-trascienden-fronteras-fotos

Invisible neighbors

This news photograph reflects the growing global challenge of urban homelessness and the housing crisis. Since 2020, this issue has only become worse for many cities because of increasing housing prices, shortage of available homes, and social problems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsheltered homeless individuals have risen in numbers in many Canadian cities because of the lack of affordable housing and space in shelters (Housing, I. a. C. C., 2023). Public health concerns about “sanitation, hygiene, and fire safety” have compelled authorities to clear out such places, thus displacing people who are already vulnerable (NHCHC, 2023). According to statistics, the number of homeless people around the world stands at over 150 million, highlighting the urban inequalities in access to housing (WEFORUM, 2025).

Tents line the sidewalk along East Hastings Street in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside on July 28, 2022, as authorities ordered the immediate removal of the growing homeless encampment. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press, 2022)

The Final Call. (2023, october). ‘A perfect storm’: Canada facing growing homeless crisis. https://new.finalcall.com/2023/10/17/a-perfect-storm-canada-facing-growing-homeless-crisis/

The unleveled playing field

This photograph highlights the systemic barriers, created for accessibility and urban infrastructure, reflecting one of the broader global challenges in creating inclusive cities for people with disabilities, and despite international action, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, most cities continue to lack universal design (C40 Knowledge, 2022). Structural obstacles, such as unusable ramps and interrupted sidewalks limit mobility and access to education work and day-to-day life. Globally, over 1 billion people live with some form of disability, many facing daily exclusion due to the poorly funded universal design environment (WHO, 2022). These conditions show how hostile, un-accessible urban design reinforces inequality, and the right to an inclusive city.

An unusable ramp is located in Culiacán, taken on July 11, 2025; a few meters from this ramp, the sidewalk is interrupted by steps. (Vanessa Beltrán, 2025)

Beltrán, V. (2025, August 8). Culiacán falla en accesibilidad: barreras para personas con discapacidad. Revista Espejo. https://revistaespejo.com/2025/08/08/culiacan-falla-en-accesibilidad-barreras-para-personas-con-discapacidad

Bibliography

4. Housing, I. a. C. C. (2023, August 10). Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada - Homelessness data Snapshot: The National Shelter Study 2021 update. https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/homelessness-sans-abri/reports-rapports/data-shelter-2021-donnees-refuge-eng.html Rabell, L. (2024, July 30). Study shows involuntary displacement of people experiencing homelessness may cause significant spikes in mortality, overdoses and hospitalizations. National Health Care for the Homeless Council. https://nhchc.org/study-shows-involuntary-displacement-of-people-experiencing-homelessness-may-cause-significant-spikes-in-mortality-overdoses-and-hospitalizations/ World Economic Forum. (2025, June). These innovative projects are tackling homelessness around the world. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/10/innovative-projects-tackling-homelessness-around-the-world/ 5. C40 Knowledge Community. (June, 2022). Access and persons with disabilities in urban areas https://www.c40knowledgehub.org/s/article/Access-and-persons-with-disabilities-in-urban-areas?language=en_US Noncommunicable Diseases, Rehabilitation and Disability (NCD). (2022, December 2). Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240063600 6. Right to the City (2020, May 12). What is feminist urbanism? https://www.right2city.org/news/espanol-que-es-el-urbanismo-feminista/ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. (November, 2024). At least 11 women are victims of femicide every day in Latin America and the Caribbean.https://www.cepal.org/en/pressreleases/least-11-women-are-victims-femicide-every-day-latin-america-and-caribbean World Health Organization: WHO. (2025, November 19). Lifetime toll: 840 million women faced partner or sexual violence. https://www.who.int/news/item/19-11-2025-lifetime-toll--840-million-women-faced-partner-or-sexual-violence

1. UNICEF. (2020, August 26). Are children able to continue learning during school closures? https://data.unicef.org/resources/remote-learning-reachability-factsheet/ Partha, A. (2025, December 14). The digital divide and its adverse consequences for millions of children - Humanium. Humanium. https://www.humanium.org/en/the-digital-divide-and-its-adverse-consequences-for-millions-of-children/ UNICEF. (2024, November 1). The state of the World’s Children 2024. https://www.unicef.org/reports/state-of-worlds-children/2024 2. Roy, D. (2025, July 1). Here’s where Trump’s deportations are sending migrants. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/articles/heres-where-trumps-deportations-are-sending-migrants United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). (2021). International Migration 2020 Highlights. https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/content/international-migration-2020-highlights 3. Salomon, J. (2025, July 25). Milei tames inflation, but Argentines still struggle to afford basics. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/7/25/milei-tames-inflation-but-argentines-still-struggle-to-afford-basics Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2023). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023. https://www.fao.org/publications/fao-flagship-publications/the-state-of-food-security-and-nutrition-in-the-world/2023

The connective disconnection

This image reflects an increasing issue worldwide: the digital divide. This limits children’s access to education and opportunities specially, in low income and rule areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Education systems shifted towards online learning yet at least 463 million people worldwide were unable to access online learning due to the lack of devices, Internet, or electricity (UNICEF, 2020) (Humanium, 2021). In countries like India, only about one and four children have access to the proper digital tools and connectivity to participate in our modern education system. This highlights a strong rural and urban inequality (Humanium, 2021). This gap is part of a broader problem with connectivity, remaining significantly lower in Third World countries (UNICEF, 2024) .

Photo provided by Shutterstock, taken on January , 2020 on The Kanti district in India, depicting a group of children in a rural setting gathering around a single laptop, suggesting shared and limited access to digital technology for learning. (2020, Shutterstock)

Partha, A. (2025, December 14). The digital divide and its adverse consequences for millions of children - Humanium. Humanium. https://www.humanium.org/en/the-digital-divide-and-its-adverse-consequences-for-millions-of-children/