Commuting in medium-size cities of Cascavel and Toledo, Paraná

Abstract

This article analyzes the phenomenon of inter-city commuting between the cities of Cascavel and Toledo in the western meso-region of the State of Paraná, Brazil. The economic and populational dynamics in various areas in Brazil are showing new modalities of mobility of the population, since, until recently, such phenomena had been present almost exclusively in large cities. It is important to study this aspect in order to provide for better urban-regional planning and territorial organization. The commuting between Cascavel and Toledo is of the crossed-type because the commuters are from both cities. The results of this research showed that the primary social protection net (the family) is an important factor in medium-size cities such as Cascavel and Toledo. The commuting between the two cities plays an important role in the urban format of the region. It is thus clear that some aspects of urbanization that once were seen almost exclusively in metropolitan areas are now important issues for medium-sized cities as well.