This audio clip by NPR, New Roads in the Amazon may Deliver Disease, discusses how malaria is spread by the development of roads in the Amazon. Interviews with researchers in the village of Mazan explain how roads can create corridors for malaria-carrying mosquitoes to travel to isolated villages. When a local government is blindsided by the positives of building a road, unexpected dangerous consequences can arise form acting too quickly.
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The Bloomingdale Trail (BT) website is a place for information and communication regarding the transformation of an old elevated railroad in Chicago into a pathway for walking, biking, and running. The site provides information on the brainstorming and implementation progress thus far, with a well-intentioned showing of the progress. It includes a blog-style section on news and events, however this part seems to be less updated within the past two months. The website stresses the importance of community members involvement, with postings of community events and easy access to communication with BT authorities. The local impact will reach many people due to the rich history and future possibilities of the trail, especially for the diverse surrounding communities. The website was built by the Trust for Public Land, a major sponsors of the project. Although adequate information on sponsors exists, funding and budget details are minimal. The only other mention of money is a cost estimate for the entire project. Information regarding specific funding intentions throughout the project timeline would be informative for community members. The public meeting minutes are posted in the archive section, and one of them is translated into Spanish. This makes me wonder why more of the website has not been translated into Spanish as well, as a Spanish community is on a section of the BT. Overall, the BT website provides valuable information that is not accessible elsewhere, and leaves me with questions and several sources to find answers.
India’s extensive network of trains keeps the country connected and accessible for many people. It reaches a large network of the country’s locations and socioeconomic classes. However, as symbolized by this person trapped between the two railways, public transportation can be constraining and limiting in other ways for overlooked populations due to a reorganization of space access. In developing transportation infrastructures, it is crucial to examine the effects to all populations, both majorities and minorities.
Photo credit: Leah Todd in Varanasi, India