Rail Corridors within Urban Areas, Places Stigmatized by Violence in Mexican Cities

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study on the fear of violence in urban zones from a territorial perspective focused on the specific case of rail corridors. Our approach postulates, first, that while numerous violent events occur in multiple spaces in cities, the areas bordering railroads are as unique as the events that take place there and, second, that these sites and their surrounding area are key elements for understanding the nature of the problems that occur there and how they contribute to a stigmatization that arises from the lack of harmony in the coexistence of railways with cities. We analyze the relation between rail corridors and the types of violence and urban insecurity associated with them, as well as the role that the authorities and mass media play in current problematics, in a process in which the poor adaptation between the city and railway infrastructure has fed such a significant degradation of these corridors that they are perceived as unsafe areas especially prone to criminal activities. The paper contributes to the literature on the issue of the relations between transport infrastructure and urban areas by focusing on the little-studied topic of city-railroad coexistence, considering key concepts like fear, the environment, violence, and stigmatization. Finally, the unique nature of these spaces increases the importance of the study, given that rail corridors are areas of federal jurisdiction that lie within city limits. This opens a new horizon in studies of urban violence and stigmatization.