A bus ride with Foucalt
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(1) The document discusses a bus ride with philosopher Michel Foucault to analyze the implementation of bus rapid transit (BRT) systems in Quito, Ecuador through the lens of Foucault's theories of power. (2) BRT was initially implemented in Quito in the 1990s and has since expanded, improving public transportation but also benefiting political and planning elites while some segments of the population remain underserved. (3) Applying Foucault's understanding of power as operating through authorities, manipulation, persuasion and coercion helps explain how BRT was adopted in Quito and led to both successes and problems of exclusion.
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A bus ride with Foucalt
- 1. Institute for Transport Studies FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENT A bus ride with Foucalt Alvaro Guzman, Ian Philips, Karen Lucas, Greg Marsden .Philips@leeds.ac.uk Presented by Alvaro Guzman @aguzmanj
- 2. Bus Ride With Foucault - Outline What kind of Bus Ride? Why with Foucault? Methodology Discussion Conclusion
- 3. Bus Rapid Transit a high-quality bus- based transit system that delivers fast, comfortable, and cost- e ective urban mobility through the provision of segregated right-of-wayff infrastructure, rapid and frequent operations, and excellence in marketing and customer service’ (Wright and Hook, 2007).
- 4. BRT in Quito First BRT outside of Brazil, 1995.= innovators at the time In 2016 Quito has 5 corridors. 72 km of segregated busways 830.000 passengers daily. Quito is the Capital of Ecuador. World Heritage city(1978) 2.3 million habitants. Source: brtdata.org
- 6. Why Foucault? We invite Foucault on a bus ride to help us contest our thinking about the role of BRT in Quito. Planning is understood as something ‘good’. The outcomes of planning are not always what we would like it to be. The outcomes are a consequence of powerful forces. Understanding the role of power can give use some clues to start unpacking the existing forces. Foucault understanding of power breaks away from common understandings of power as they do not capture all the complexities of modern uses of power.
- 7. Power • Power is a complex set of relations. • Power elevates certain knowledges into a hierarchical level. • Power not exclusively localized in any particular person or group, it spreads throughout the most micro levels of the social body. • Power is not simply repressive but it is productive. • Power operates dynamically at the most micro levels of social relations. • The exercise of power is strategic and war- like. • Where there is power there is resistance –
- 8. (1) Where are we going? (2) Who gains and who loses, and by which mechanisms of power? (3) Is this development desirable? (4) What, if anything, should we do about it? Methodology: Phronetic approach (after Flyvbjerg) Phronesis is thinking about where our world view comes from, thinking about the inherent knowledge power, and about the other forms of power that might be trying to influence the choice of solution. Phronesis is a critical filter on world views and technical capability. Ask 4 questions
- 10. Where are we going? Public Transport was regulated by National Government. Public polls showed high popular dissatisfaction public transport. Mayor of the time re-invigorated an existing project so seek congressional approval for The metropolitan district of Quito. Transport Study Unit is established. TSU develops a Master Transport Plan of Quito. Transport is driven by a positivist and instrumental view of transport. TSU brings, creates and disseminates knowledge. TSU as a starting point for the analysis of power.
- 11. Who wins and who loses, and by which mechanisms of power? Winners •A close network of friends of the Mayor •The politicians wins as the systems creates huge political impact driving to the re-election of the mayor and later the presidency. •The planners at the TSU, create national and international respect. Advising the implementation and the managing of different systems. •The BRT brought peace to a contested street space. •The city and its citizens win in the area where the system is implemented, more largely it changes the perception that things can be done differently.
- 12. Who wins and who loses, and by which mechanisms of power? - Losers •Transport providers •Segments of the population do not receive the promise of a “better transport system”.
- 13. Who wins and who loses, and by which mechanisms of power? Mechanisms of Power
- 16. Is this development desirable? The participants agree that BRT changed the public transport of the city dramatically. The population realize that things can be different. But… Big areas of the city lack of good transport, the poorest segment of the population are still left out of the system. Causing new dissatisfaction. A static state of a dominant ideas is introduced with little space for innovation, new ideas do not develop.
- 17. What should be done?
- 18. Conclusions The understanding of the exercise of power, is useful to begin to understand some of the reason behind the adoption of BRT. A successful group of planners is generated that help disseminate the BRT concept, throughout the country and into other countries. Leaving important knowledge out of the planning process is capable to generate problems of exclusion. The role of friendship has not been captured within the approaches to understand power, there is space to use other existing theories to understand it further.
- 19. Thank you Alvaro Guzman PhD student ts09ang@leeds.ac.uk @aguzmanj Dr Ian Philips i.Philips@leeds.ac.uk @ianphilipsits Institute for Transport Studies www.its.leeds.ac.uk @ITSLeeds
Editor's Notes
- This paper is intended for a special issue paper for the Journal of Transport Geography about contested mobilities. Which came as result of a seminar series part of the contested cities network were we found out that there is not enough material about contested mobilites. It is also parte of a larger study to understand the role of power in current transport planning practices. French Philospher (died 1984) A busy man who though about lots of things including relations of power Influential: Lots of current thinkers interpreting his work
- Where are we going? Looking at a map of the current social inequalities gives us an impression of the BRT policy. We see non deprived areas which are blue on our map linked via multiple BRT lines to the City centre. We also see the majority of deprived areas in red are not served by the BRT. How have neoliberal urban policies and recent trends of urbanization affected the mobility conditions of the different social groups? What are the social implications of transport infrastructure investments in Latin America cities? http://jokinzuru.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/la-roldos.html
- We invite Foucault on a bus ride with us to help us contest (i.e. challenge and critically reflect) our thinking (we are academics and practitioners in Global North and in Latin America who have an interest in planning, cities and transport) about the role of BRT in Quito. we have search in planning literature and we have found that mostly planning is understood as something good. , however the outcomes of planning are not always what we would like to see. Some authors have argued that this outcomes are consequences of powerful forces. The market, the developing agencies, world bank and others. By understanding the role of power can give use some clues to start unpacking the existing forces. Modern use of power is really complex and this is the reason we invite MF. As his understanding of power breaks away from common understanding of power such as sovereign, where one person or one group of people hold power and imposes on others.
- He is interested in understanding how certain knowledges are created and disseminated and others are left out. Power see power as form of elevating certain knowledges to a hierarchical level leaving others. We want to take this notions of power to understand the development of a particular type of mass transport option in Quito, Ecuador.
- Meyer and Miller (2001) to analyse complex transport planning issues as applied to transport and health: Where are we now? How did we get here? Instead of this one we put the power one Where do we want to go and what will guide us? How will we get there?
- We’re only seeing relations where power and resistance is happening. Alvaro’s fieldwork meant that he was able ro observe where some productivity had occurred through the exercise of power. That’s what’s been mapped. Things like basic spatial constraints like the BRT had to go along the valley because thhe mountains are too steep wasn’t resisted. Other engineering factors weren’t resisted. The positivistic instrumentalist way of transport planning with 4 stage models and demand forecasts wasn’t resisted – so it isn’t mapped. The Spanish dev bank says if you want my loan, you have to buy a Spanish made bus. This makes the planners change their thinking. [Defer questions about why not another theory to email to Alvaro]
- Mayor became president Head of TSU adbvises world bank Addressed some of the problems of a very contested streetscape It made people think that positive change could happen.
- The second line and third line were franchised to the transport operators the power of their annoyance persuaded the mayor to give them the franchise. BUT these operators didn’t know how to run a BRT. This power relation wasn’t productive because the franchise failed and the municipality had to take it over
- Complex dynamic mechanisms of power for line 1
- BRT 2 There is a little less discussion – a little less power negotiation
- BRT 3 Far less discussion. Less power BUT dissatisfaction doesn’t disappear this time. This stagnation repeats with BRT 4 and 5
- The map is exerting it’s knowledge power on us. A person influenced by the positivistic tradition of GIS analysis or transport planning looks at the map and its power might suggest drawing more lines. A land-use planner sees the map and the power of their previous knowledge may suggest they build medical facilities in poor neighbourhoods. Flyvberg suggests to those who have read phronetic planning to go and look and ask the 4 questions. Listen, listen… How difficult it is! I’m not a prophet; I’m not an organizer; I don’t want to tell people what they should do. I’m not going to tell them, “This is good for you, this is bad for you!” (Foucault 1988) Foucault doesn’t say do one particular thing. Foucalt says get your ideas back on the bus and keep them moving. We think that means is contest your knowledge as a researcher, or practitioner. keep the relationship between the knowledge power dynamic.