40
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
This work is part of an Architect degree thesis entitled “Quality of the Urban Environment and its Inuence on the Mobility of Care. 27
de Febrero Child Development Center” of the University of Azuay, Ecuador.
Arquitecta
Estudiante de magíster en Estudios Avanzados en Arquitectura-
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya,
Arquitecta en Civity Group Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador.
https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0232-6354
cristinaullauri1@gmail.com
Arquitecta en DOSA Estudio
Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador.
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2025-7493
idrovoanaso@es.uazuay.edu.ec
Doctora en Arquitectura y Estudios Urbanos
Laboratorio de Movilidad Urbana, Escuela de Arquitectura
Universidad del Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1095-7215
chermida@uazuay.edu.ec
https://doi.org/10.22320/07183607.2024.27.49.03
1
2
3
4
Recibido: 20-11-2023
Aceptado: 06-05-2024
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL
MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
MOBILITY OF CARE
AROUND A MUNICIPAL
DAILY CARE CENTER IN
CUENCA, ECUADOR
1
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURIUGALDE 2
ANA SOFIA IDROVOSOLIZ 3
CARLA HERMIDAPALACIOS 4
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
41
Historically, there has been an inequality in mobility conditions between men and women, which derives mainly from their gender
roles in society. Generally, women are responsible for caregiving activities, such as caring for children. In this context, studying
the mobility of care in different areas is vital. To reect on this issue, the environment around the 27 Febrero Municipal Child
Development Center in the city of Cuenca-Ecuador was used as a case study. Four instruments were applied: Case-type surveys
to parents, open-source tools for the micro-scale evaluation of eMAPS environments, non-participant direct observation, and
semi-structured interviews. It was found that, although the quality of the urban environment inuences the mobility conditions
for caregiving when traveling to and from the educational center, other factors are more relevant, such as the means of
transportation used and personal safety.
Keywords: public space, mobility, gender, role of caregiver
Históricamente, ha existido una desigualdad en las condiciones de movilidad entre hombres y mujeres que derivan
principalmente de los roles de género que ejercen en la sociedad. Generalmente, son las mujeres las responsables de realizar
las actividades del cuidado, tales como encargarse de los infantes. En este contexto, resulta importante estudiar la movilidad del
cuidado en diferentes ámbitos. Para reexionar sobre esta temática, se tomó como caso de estudio los alrededores del Centro
de Desarrollo Infantil Municipal 27 Febrero en la ciudad de Cuenca-Ecuador. Se aplicaron cuatro instrumentos: encuestas
caso-tipo a padres/madres de familia, herramienta de código abierto para la evaluación en microescala de entornos eMAPS,
observación directa no participante y entrevistas semiestructuradas. Se encontró que, si bien la calidad del entorno urbano
inuye en las condiciones de movilidad del cuidado, en los desplazamientos desde y hacia el centro educativo existen otros
factores que resultan más relevantes como el modo de transporte utilizado y la seguridad personal.
Palabras clave: espacio público, movilidad, género, rol del cuidado
42
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
I. INTRODUCTION
In their Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, the
United Nations established the need to ensure more
equitable and accessible mobility for all people,
recognizing inequalities, including those caused by
gender. However, there is evidence that shows, on
the one hand, that women and men have different
mobility patterns (Gutiérrez & Reyes, 2017). On the other,
women’s mobility is conditioned by factors, especially
safety, which forces them to use particular strategies
to get around, such as being accompanied by a family
member, investing more in safer transport systems
(García, 2022), or traveling greater distances to avoid
places considered as dangerous (Figueroa & Waintrub,
2015), among others. That is why it is essential to study
the relationship between gender and mobility to have
evidence that supports public policy regarding urban
design and planning of school zones.
According to González-Alvo and Czytajlo (2022),
the incorporation of mobility studies with a gender
perspective in Latin America arose from the inequalities
that characterize the social structure of cities. These
inequalities show the differences in mobility patterns
between men and women, which arise mainly from the
gender roles imposed by society. Men have had paid
jobs to support the household, i.e., productive work,
and women, on the other hand, have been engaged
in household care and reproductive tasks (Montoya-
Robledo et al., 2020; González-Alvo & Czytajlo, 2022).
Montoya-Robledo et al. (2020) show that women
perform 75% of household or care tasks. According to
Heather et al. (2019), society still depends on women
as the primary family caregivers in the Ecuadorian case.
While women perform 40 hours of unpaid work, men
contribute approximately 10 hours. The authors point
out that, according to data from 2014, it is women in
Latin America who work more than men, and in the case
of Ecuador specifically, there is a ratio of 61 hours of total
work, paid and unpaid, for women, versus approximately
54 hours for men.
Care activities also involve particular conditions in the
daily movements of those who carry them out, primarily
women. Studies on the mobility of care in Latin America
reveal interesting data which confirm this. For example,
Chaves et al. (2017) in Buenos Aires detected that
women with small children face mobility challenges,
from the “lockdown in motion” because they cannot
leave their homes to the “work in motion,” organizing
routines for all their responsibilities. The phenomenon
is also intersectional. Namely, those who have the least
resources face the worst conditions. Gutiérrez and Reyes
(2017) state that, in poor neighborhoods of Buenos
Aires, women carry the burden of care and lack time
for other activities. Similar findings were observed in
the poorer neighborhoods of Santiago de Chile, where
women feel trapped between the responsibilities of
home, work, and raising children (Jirón, 2007).
Trips to drop off and pick up children from educational
institutions are a fundamental phenomenon when
studying the mobility of care. In this context, this article
aims to identify the factors that affect the mobility of
care conditions in the surroundings of a Municipal Child
Development Center located within Mercado 27 Febrero
in Cuenca, Ecuador.
The study is structured in five parts: first, it comments on
the concept of mobility in general and care in particular.
Secondly, the case study and the methodology used
to collect the information are detailed. Thirdly, the
results obtained from applying four instruments are
presented: case-type surveys, an open-source tool for
the microscale evaluation of eMAPS environments,
non-participant direct observation, and semi-structured
interviews. Fourth, the data obtained are triangulated to
establish the main findings. Finally, the conclusions and
recommendations are presented.
II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Mobility, gender, and care
The concept of mobility includes the characteristics of
supply (mode of transport, infrastructure) and those of
demand (age, gender, distance, economic possibilities,
and physical conditions) (Miralles Guasch, 2002). The
term mobility replaced transport because it considers
the population’s needs to move from one place to
another, not only the capacity of the means of transport
(Herce, 2009). That is why it can be said that there is
an inequality in mobility between different population
groups, as some have more facilities to access specific
modes of transport, which allow them to reach their
destinations in better conditions and in less time.
Therefore, they have more opportunities compared to
more vulnerable groups such as children, older adults,
disabled people, women, and people with limited
resources, among others (Miralles Guasch, 2002).
In the case of historical inequalities caused by gender,
some concepts emerged that allowed us to look
closer at them regarding the use and appropriation of
public space. Such is the case of ”feminist geography,”
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
43
Figure 1. Location of Municipal DCIs in Cuenca - Ecuador Source: Preparation by the authors.
which arises in the field of urbanism and spatiality
to address the problem of women’s invisibility in the
configuration of spaces. This approach recognizes and
questions the absence of the role played by women
in the organization and design of urban environments
(Soto Villagrán, 2018). Similarly, urbanism with a
gender perspective implies “giving a place to women’s
participation in decision-making processes, as well
as making inequalities visible in different dimensions
(political and symbolic material) both in the city and
urban planning processes or management” (Gonzalez-
Alvo & Czytajlo, 2022, p. 37).
The differences caused by gender roles, particularized
to everyday mobility, have been studied from the
concept of “the mobility of care.” That is the one
that relates care activities to daily trips (Sánchez de
Madariaga & Zucchini, 2019), trips related to the care of
children, older adults, and disabled people, as well as
errands and purchases and that, therefore, involve non-
pendular trips, with multiple destinations, organization
of routines, among other conditioning factors. By way
of example, in the Latin American case, the study by
Heather et al. (2019) on the use of public transport by
women in Quito, Santiago, and Buenos Aires found that
trips for care made in this mode of transport, amount
to 47% during the week and 64% on the weekend. This
represents the second most cited reason for travel,
so transport planning should not ignore these daily
needs. This type of travel is greatly affected by the
dispersed growth of cities since the distances between
facilities are increasing. Adding to the lack of adequate
public or private transport, this can generate significant
limitations in people’s access to their destinations or
use services (Sánchez de Madariaga & Zucchini, 2019;
Jirón & Gómez, 2018).
III. CASE STUDY
The Municipal Child Development Centers (CDI, in
Spanish) in Cuenca are free facilities for comprehensive
child development, initial education, and pedagogical
44
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
Figure 2. 27 Febrero Child Development Center. Source: Pablo Sebastián Rodas (2018).
Figure 3. Isochrone for eMAPS application. Source: Preparation by
the authors.
support (Cuenca Mayor’s Office, n.d.). The municipal CDIs
arose out of a concern for working mothers who had
no one to care for their children or where to leave them
during their working hours.
This research used the CDI inside the 27 de Febrero
Market in the city’s south (Figure 1). It has 43 children
and an approximate surface area of 500 m
2
. This sector
was chosen because it was one of the centers with the
lowest score when performing a weighted assessment
matrix that used indicators obtained from the Institute
for Transportation & Development Policy -ITDP (2020),
cited in Torres Maldonado’s research (2022). The criteria
for each CDI were services or amenities, public transport,
public space, and road conditions. In the market, an
inter-parish terminal connects the southern rural area
with the urban one.
Although the urban environment around the 27 Febrero
Market has shortcomings, it is located in El Ejido, which
is considered a modern city, where two important
avenues cross. In its surroundings, the constructions
are mostly less than four floors, and the use is mainly
residential (Figure 2).
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
45
Figure 4. An example of a sketch made as part of the non-participant observation. Source: Preparation by the authors.
IV. METHODOLOGY
Four instruments were applied to explore the factors
that affect the mobility of care conditions around the
CDI of the 27 Febrero Market:
Case-type survey: This method was used to determine
who takes children to and from the CDI and in which
mode of transport. Twenty-five surveys were conducted
at the front door of the CDI inside the 27 Febrero
Market.
eMaps: This is an open-source tool for the microscale
evaluation of walkability in urban environments
(LlactaLAB, 2020). As a first step, an isochron was
created (Figure 3). This was determined based on the
location of the bus stops closest to the CDI and its
immediate surroundings. The street segments and lots
were validated using QGIS to generate the maps used
for the field study evaluation.
Once all the forms of each of the 19 segments had
been answered, rating them as positive and negative,
depending on their impact on walkability, began.
Non-participant direct observation: This consisted
of collecting data by observing the mobility of care in
different spaces and mapping activities to explore the
phenomenon through feminist geography. The three
main accesses of the CDI and the bus stops were taken
as the starting point. For the information processing,
the maps made in the field study were analyzed in
detail (Figure 4), and analysis variables classified the
information.
Semi-structured interview: This technique was applied
to seven CDI parents. With this instrument, we sought
to understand the dynamics in the mobility of care to
and from the CDI. The processing used tables, where the
answers were classified according to analysis categories.
Table 1 shows the characteristics of the participants.
46
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
Table 1. Description of the interviewees. Source: Preparation by the authors.
Figure 5. Results of the case-type survey. Source: Preparation by the authors.
V. RESULTS
Results of the case-type survey
The research shows that the female gender predominates
in the question of who accompanies the child on their
journeys to the CDI. As for whether the subjects worked
in the 27 Febrero Market, 13 interviewees did not work in
this space, and 12 did. On the other hand, it is most usual
for children to arrive holding an adult’s hand. However,
it was interesting that no child came in a stroller. Finally,
regarding the mode of transport they use to get to the
CDI, the most frequent is public transport, in this case, the
bus. 11 of the 25 people consulted use this means, with
walking in second place in third and last place taxi and
motorcycle options (Figure 5).
eMaps Results
The levels of walkability in the previously established
area of influence were evaluated. It is interesting to see
how the rating can vary significantly from one section to
another. For example, the market’s surroundings obtained
low ratings, reflected in yellow, orange, and red (Figure 6),
indicating that walkability in this area is not in the optimal
Interviewees Date Gender Age Kinship Transport Special conditions
Interviewee N°1 April 6th, 2023 Female 41 years old Mother On foot Disability conditions.
Interviewee N°2 April 6th, 2023 Male 40 years old Father Private vehicle
Husband of a market
worker.
Interviewee N°3 April 6th, 2023 Female 33 years old
Mother
Private vehicle Market worker
Interviewee N°4 April 11th, 2023 Female 30 years old
Mother On foot / public
transport (bus)
Does not work in the
market
Interviewee N°5 April 11th, 2023 Female 24 years old
Mother
Public transport (bus)
Mother of three young
children, only one attends
the CDI Febrero 27.
Interviewee N°6 April 11th, 2023 Male 38 years old Father Private vehicle
Does not work in the
market
Interviewee N°7 April 11th, 2023 Female 44 years old
Mother On foot / public
transport (bus)
Market worker
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
47
Figure 6. Result of eMAPS walkability evaluation. Source:
Preparation by the authors.
Figure 7. Women do the shopping. Source: Preparation by the
authors.
Figure 8. Presence of the citizen guard. Source: Preparation by the
authors.
5 Guardia Ciudadana is “a Municipal-run public institution that controls the public space, reinforces security together with the police and citizen
security in the Cuenca district” (Guardia Ciudadana, n.d., s.p.).
conditions to guarantee accessibility. However, Avenida
Fray Vicente Solano and the corridor towards the Virgen de
Bronce were evaluated as the most suitable areas for good
walkability, obtaining the highest scores.
Results of non-participant direct observation
It was evident that women usually accompany their children
to and from the CDI. They are also the ones who mostly attend
the market to make their daily purchases or attend to their stalls
(Figure 7). In addition, it was possible to detect that parents
usually take their infants holding their hand, information
coinciding with the results obtained in the survey. On the other
hand, the presence of people under the inuence of alcohol
was observed in the surroundings of the market, mainly on the
corner of Belisario Andrade and Adolfo Torres Streets.
The observation at the selected entrance showed the citizen
guard5 hovering around the market, creating a sense of security
(Figure 8). As for the observation at the selected bus stops, it
was found that many people do not cross the zebra crossings
or those set up to cross safely. It was also observed that women
generally have diculties getting on and o the bus when
48
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
Figure 9. Bus stop on Av. Fray Vicente Solano. Source: Preparation
by the authors.
accompanied by children and even more so when carrying
shopping bags. Finally, one of the four bus stops analyzed
does not have the necessary infrastructure because there is
only one vertical “Bus Stop” sign (Figure 9).
Results of the interview
The interviewees stated that the CDI’s location within
the market facilitates the daily lives of those who care for
children since it has several activities in the same place,
such as work, education, and shopping. It is important to
emphasize that, for ve of the seven people interviewed, one
of the main reasons they chose to enroll their children in the
CDI analyzed is their daily work in the stalls within the market
or its vicinity. However, three interviewees mentioned the
lack of green areas near the 27 Febrero CDI. An example is
interviewee N°2, who stated, “There are no parks for market
children who need to be distracted.”
Another interesting topic related to the mobility of care
was waiting for the bus with the infants. Interviewee N°7
mentioned certain diculties, such as, ”We have to be careful
as parents because sometimes, because they are little, they
run, and since the bus stop is very close, it is of concern to
us.” Of the three interviewees who use the bus, two women
mentioned that the bus stops do not have the necessary
infrastructure, there are no roofs to cover themselves from
the rain, and, in some cases, they only have a vertical sign.
In the interviews, three women who travel on foot
commented that their daily environment has some
obstacles. Interviewee N°1 is a person with a disability
who has to take her daughter, mentioning that the market
sidewalks are very high, hindering her mobility. Sometimes,
the child’s grandmother takes her to the CDI, and on two
occasions, she has suered falls due to obstacles while
walking through the area. On the other hand, regarding
personal safety when walking, interviewee N°7 says,
“Sometimes the pedestrian sidewalk to go out to the Bronze
Madonna, that one is a little dark, nothing has happened to
me, but they have commented that young people appear
who want to steal things.” Most of the women who walk,
3 of the 5 interviewees, to come to or from the CDI, in the
streets around the market, use pedestrian crossings, but in
some cases, they consider them unsafe, as evidenced by
interviewee N°1 “cars come from everywhere,” interviewee
N°7 mentions that there is no respect for the pedestrian by
drivers at crossings without trac lights.
Regarding the interviews conducted, certain factors that
generate insecurity around the market are identied. The
most worrying cause is the presence of people who are
intoxicated, especially on weekends, as well as the existence
of street vendors outside the market and debt collectors
inside it. Interviewee N°1 reported, “Sometimes, I don’t open
for fear of them, that they will take my things...” She feels
insecure about the collectors’ presence. They oer a very high
interest rate; if the payment due is not paid, the borrowers are
threatened with taking, sometimes forcefully, supplies from
the kiosks inside the market. Five interviewees mentioned the
presence of the citizen guard and the social cohesion between
neighbors as factors that improve security.
Regarding the sample obtained, the dierence in the
conditions of mobility of care is marked by the intersectionality
approach; that is, inequalities are further accentuated by race,
socioeconomic status, or origin issues. An example is the
inequalities produced between urban and rural inhabitants,
which is evident in the interviews conducted. Interviewee N°4
is a resident of the urban area, and she mentions that it takes
about 10 minutes to get to the CDI, an assertion opposed
to the opinion delivered by interviewee N°5, who mentions,
“Quingeo is an hour away from here, I leave at 6:10 and arrive
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
49
at 7:10. I get up at 5:30 in the morning.” Both interviewees
travel by public transport and do not have another means
of transport to get to the CDI, but they have dierent travel
conditions due to their place of residence. This dierentiation
causes other consequences, including children arriving late
for classes, the bus being late, and the bus being full, which
has the consequence of not stopping at the bus stop.
VI. DISCUSSION
This research sought to identify the factors that aect the
mobility of care conditions around the 27 Febrero Child
Development Center. The main issue is identifying and
categorizing crucial concepts based on feminist geography
or urbanism with a gender perspective. The study also
emphasizes the critical role of women in the conguration
of urban spaces and how this aects mobility dynamics. The
study focuses primarily on transferring children to and from
the CID nursery.
The mobility of care involves multiple factors. There is
evidence, reected in the literature, that demonstrates the
dependence of women as the main ones responsible for
performing the tasks of care and the inequality of conditions
in their daily mobility (Motoya Robledo et al., 2020; Sánchez
de Madariaga & Zucchini, 2019). Authors such as Heather et
al. (2019) and González-Alvo and Czytajlo (2022) emphasize
that inadequate public transport, low-quality infrastructures,
and the perception of constant insecurity condition the
mobility of care. This research explored this phenomenon
in a particular case: the CDI within the 27 Febrero Market in
Cuenca-Ecuador. The analyzed case study corroborates that
although some men are responsible for taking and picking
up children, women are mainly responsible; in our case
study, 72% were women, according to case-type surveys
applied at work.
The main ndings highlight that the mode of transport
and the perception of safety inuence the mobility of care
quality. The case-type surveys of 25 people in the studied
sector found that 16% of respondents use a private vehicle
for comfort and independence versus 84% of individuals
who move on foot or by bus. However, the conditions
of these modes of transport for the inhabitants in Latin
America are not always the best (Figueroa & Waintrub,
2015; García, 2022). Public authorities must provide suitable
conditions for all modes of travel. The pyramid of mobility,
where pedestrians and cyclists are prioritized, followed
by public transport users, should be the action guide of
municipalities worldwide. Similarly, it is crucial to consider
the dierent experiences, daily lives, and needs of vulnerable
population groups when designing and planning mobility
infrastructures.
The analysis of the results of the eMAPS indicate low
walkability in the surroundings of the CDI, which primarily
aects those who are in charge of moving children and
people with disabilities (Ilárraz, 2006) since cities do not
usually meet the needs of women, children, people with
disabilities, and older adults, among others. Another
shortcoming identied regarding the urban environment is
the existence, quality, and/or location of zebra crossings. This
leads parents to jaywalk (through the middle of the street)
with their children, risking their safety.
The bus is the most used means of transport by the people
surveyed and interviewed from the case study. The non-
participant observation and interviews showed the poor
condition of specic stops; 1 of the 4 stops analyzed only
had a vertical sign and no protection from the weather
or benches. Sometimes, vehicles are parked at the stops,
hindering the route and making it dicult for passengers
to board and disembark. These data coincide with those
provided by Ilárraz (2006), who talks about physical
accessibility, which is the ease or diculty of accessing
stations or stops, as well as getting on or o the transport
itself, and that, due to all the conditions of mobility of care, it
is women who have the least possibilities of accessibility to
means of transport, which leads to an exclusion in terms of
travel.
In all the interviews, personal safety was mentioned. A
noteworthy fact was that the two men interviewed talked
about insecurity in the city, while the ve women detailed
the causes of their feeling of insecurity. The main reason
was the presence of people under the inuence of alcohol
hanging around the market and the existence of street
vendors and debt collectors for the market workers. These
groups, dened as “unwanted,” mostly comprised adult men
(Gargiulo et al., 2020; Mugan, 2018). The presence of these
groups sometimes forces women to take other routes, even
if they are longer and less ecient (Figueroa & Waintrub,
2015). The concept of personal safety and lack of lighting
was relevant even though the schedules for arrival and
departure from the CDI are in the day.
The quantity and quality of lighting aected the eMAPS
scores. It was identied that the lighting and urban design
are crucial for crime prevention and citizen security. Well-
designed spaces with good visibility, lighting, accessibility,
and signage can improve women’s perception of safety
(Jirón & Gómez, 2018; Ilárraz, 2006; Park & García, 2020).
It was recorded that the mobility of care conditions
is crossed by intersectionality, where women have
disadvantages in using and appropriating public space, even
more so if they have few resources (Reyes-Muñoz, 2023;
Alcántar & Velentim, 2023). It was found that those who
50
MOVILIDAD DEL CUIDADO ALREDEDOR DE UN CENTRO DE DESARROLLO INFANTIL MUNICIPAL EN CUENCA, ECUADOR
ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
REVISTA URBANO Nº 49 / MAYO 2024 - OCTUBRE 2024
PÁG. 40 - 51
ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
take their children by public transport have disadvantages
compared to those who travel by private transport. They have
to move to and from rural areas, investing a lot of time in their
journeys (Gutiérrez & Reyes, 2017), hindering the possibility of
dedicating their time to study, recreation, or socialization.
VII. CONCLUSIONS
In this case study, it is corroborated that women are primarily
responsible for accompanying their children on their journeys
to and from the 27 Febrero Child Development Center
and that, in addition, the mode of transportation and the
perception of safety are determinants in the mobility of care
conditions. Likewise, it is veried that these are crossed by
intersectionality, both by socio-economic level and place of
residence (urban or rural).
These data demonstrate the importance of adopting a
gender perspective in urban planning and in implementing
concrete actions to promote equity, safety, and eciency in
women’s movements or those who perform care work, thus
contributing to constructing more inclusive and just cities.
The research allows for comparing results with CDIs in
vulnerable and rural neighborhoods or identifying the
dierences between private kindergartens attended by
children of a higher socioeconomic level in the future.
Finally, the study contributes to the knowledge and
discussion of how mobility, associated with caregiving tasks,
impacts the daily lives of people, especially women, who
devote a signicant amount of time to this often unpaid work.
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ANA CRISTINA ULLAURI-UGALDE, ANA SOFIA IDROVO-SOLIZ, CARLA HERMIDA-PALACIOS
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ISSN 0717 - 3997 / 0718 - 3607
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