Data collection in Itagüí

Between November 2022 and January 2023, Juan Pablo (JP) was in the Medellin Metropolitan Area in Colombia collecting data for his research on space-time accessibility. JP is building a mathematical model that will help assess how different transport, environment and land-use policies impact the access to a healthy life that women with very low incomes in Colombia may have.

This is the second time JP has visit Itagüí, a municipality part of the Medellin metropolitan area, and on this occasion he met with around 20 women that live in the area to identify the places that they associate with a healthy life and how they juggle their daily responsibilities to make time for these spaces. The discussions where centered around four topics, namely: mental health and spirituality; health services; physical activity, green spaces, and environment; and home and food.

The next steps in his research will be to incorporate the desires and obstacles raised during the workshops in the space-time accessibility model and include not only time and money, but environmental threats as part of the restrictions to access a healthy living. 

Photo: Women from Itagüí discussing places they associate with a healthy life.