Territorial vulnerability of cyclist people in VW FINSA región, Puebla – Tlaxcala Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Core – periphery theory explains inequality relations in different territorial scales. This research adresses the use of bicycle as a response to colloquial expression “cyclist people”, which marginalizes this mean of transport within the context of automotive industry in the Puebla – Tlaxcala Metropolitan Area (PTMA). The aim was to quantify bicycle use in urban locations around the VW industrial core, in PTMA, and illustrate its vulnerability. A 5.5 km radius around the industrial core was defined and 30 traffic intersections were appraised to register the amount of cyclists. Findings show that bicycle use in suburban locations is up to 11 times higher than in those near the industrial core. Marginalization of bicycle use in Volkswagen FINSA region is related to industrial and urban conditions of territory and locally exemplifies global dichotomy between core and periphery.