Accessibility and heritage: A measure of connectivity of the historic walled center of Cartagena de Indias

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the conditions of geographical accessibility to the historic walled center of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, through the application of geostatistical models based on the use of GIS digital tools, taking as a basis the available transport infrastructure, the location of the tourist arrival points (Land Transport Terminal, Airport) and being complemented, with socio-demographic coverage analysis. The main result is that accessibility to the historic center of Cartagena is limited for a large part of the population, considering that the location of the historic center is on the western side and the urban expansion of the city is towards the eastern side due to its limited coastal condition. On the other hand, the main conclusion is that the accessibility assessment makes it possible to make decisions on interventions for preserving heritage, thus generating a more significant impact from the perspective of mobility and social inclusion.