Post by Elsevier

🚌 Public transportation systems are the lifeline of a city. But in conflict zones, they can become extremely vulnerable targets. Andrii Galkin argues that doesn’t need to be the case. A recent study from O.M. Beketov National University of Urban Economy in Kharkiv and the Universiteit Antwerpen introduces “passafeguard,” a framework designed to double transit stops as first-line defense in emergencies. The framework links transit stops with accessible shelters to improve civilian safety during missile, drone, or artillery attacks Using Kharkiv, #Ukraine, as a real-world case study, researchers mapped shelter accessibility around transit stops under different wartime scenarios. The analysis revealed major spatial inequities in protection, but also showed how reinforced shelter pods, metro stations, and adapted infrastructure can double or triple civilian access to safety after the invasion. As cities face attacks, Andrii Galkin argues that transit systems must evolve from mobility networks into systems that also support civil protection. #ResearcherVoices: http://spkl.io/604878lhE Elsevier Social Sciences and Economics Journals