Our
paper on citizen satisfaction levels in Cali, Colombia is just published. I am coauthor along with Lina Martinez and Marianella Ortiz of the Urban Observatory at ICESI University in Cali. You
can access the paper here for free, at least for a while. Here is the
The
Abstract
We present data from a recent survey of residents'
satisfaction levels with a range of urban public goods and government
performance in Cali, Colombia. The more affluent report higher levels of
satisfaction, especially with regard to security, public space, utilities and
government performance, compared to the poor. The low scoring on satisfaction
with civic norms and government performance, especially amongst the poor,
undermines the notion of an aspirations paradox, suggests a lack of social
capital and distrust of government, and indicates a social capital deficit.
Final paragraph
Achieving a more just and fair city requires fashioning more
redistributional programs directly concerned with improving security, enhancing
the efficacy of government performance, raising the quality of public space and
the amount of social capital. All of these goals need to be pursued actively
for the poor and the poorest areas in the city, if we are serious about
creating a more just, humane and fair city.
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| Gated home in Cali Colombia (Photo © John Rennie Short) |
