Analysis of coverage of business network services in informal neighborhoods, Central District Honduras

Abstract

Urban informality manifests in multiple ways, giving rise to mechanisms of subsistence. States of crisis or emergencies associated with disaster risks pose a challenge that exacerbates vulnerability and food scarcity. Experiences have demonstrated the importance of involving informal commerce as support for local governments in hard-to-reach areas during times of crisis. This new approach necessitates analyzing the relationship between residents’ mobility and services in informal spaces. The objective of this article is to propose a model for analyzing the territorial coverage of services offered by resilient businesses located in informal neighborhoods. The model was applied to a network of resilient businesses in Villanueva Norte, Distrito Central, Honduras. To develop the methodology, a pedestrian mobility approach was used, evaluating their experience during the journey to obtain services. Subsequently, an analysis was conducted through spatial interpolation processes using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The key variables for analysis include accessibility, vulnerability, and customer attraction, contextualized within an informal settlement. The results underscore the importance of integrated interactive processes that reflect the behavior of urban interventions, leading to recommendations for enhancing, strengthening, and expanding resilient businesses. This work stems from the Master’s thesis in Territorial Planning and Management titled “Characterization of a Neighborhood with a Focus on Disaster Risk Reduction: A Contribution to the Reconfiguration of Informal Neighborhoods in Distrito Central, Honduras.”