Care Routes as Territories of Resistance, Connection and Urban Resilience – Caring Walks: The Child-Caregiver Binomial

Abstract

Everyday walks in Latin American cities are shaped by structural inequalities that differently affect the child–caregiver binomial, especially in peripheral urban contexts. This article proposes a situated exploration of the so-called care routes: paths that link spaces of life, affection, attention, and development, supported by fragile urban infrastructure and a strong social network. From an intersectional perspective, it analyzes the experiences of this binomial in their daily displacements, shaped by physical, emotional, and symbolic conditions that define their rhythms, strategies, and meanings. It argues that care routes are not merely functional journeys but territories where bonds, identities, and subjectivities are built at a crucial stage of child development. Walking emerges as both a daily and political practice, capable of transforming the relationship with the city from its margins. The work draws on participatory methodologies, accompanied walks, and field observations carried out in popular neighborhoods of Lima, Peru. The article calls for the recognition of these routes as vital infrastructure for early childhood and invites us to reimagine urban space from an ethic of care that centers life, connection, and community resilience.