Young men's daily mobility needs and practices in two low-income neighbourhoods of Cape Town: Reflections on first mile experiences, using an innovative community peer research methodology

Abstract

Understanding how young men navigate their journeys is important in the context of improving safe mobility for all, especially for those resident in city neighbourhoods with high rates of crime and poverty. Over the past decade, knowledge has been accumulating regarding the challenges faced by young women as they travel around urban areas across the African continent, but young men's lived mobility experiences have been largely ignored. This represents a major research gap. There often seems to be an (unwritten) assumption that men are invulnerable - free to travel wherever and whenever they choose - but there is a lack of specific knowledge of realities on the ground and how they impact on men's lives. In this paper we report recent research conducted with young men aged 18–35 years in two low-income neighbourhoods in Cape Town, utilizing a qualitative participatory Peer Research methodology. The focus is on understanding how young men resident in low-income areas experience and practice mobility, as they walk between home and local transport hubs (the ‘first mile’), wait at the hub, then journey onwards on motorised transport. Our findings suggest that while men's perceptions of potential danger do not necessarily stop them travelling, they experience moments of considerable stress in such contexts, such that they have to engage with a diversity of tactics to try to ensure a safe journey. There are potentially significant impacts on young men's well-being.