Speaker
Description
When discussing mobility transition, the term “smart” frequently appears as a focal point for policymakers and practitioners. Nowadays, many mobility transition policies heavily rely on technological interventions within mobility networks and infrastructures, assuming that smart mobility is the sole trajectory of the current mobility transition. However, amidst this plausible narrative, researchers criticized the concept that mobility justice often remains neglected. While there is optimism surrounding smart mobility as a solution for achieving sustainability and addressing social exclusion, the current implementation seems to exacerbate social disparities, primarily due to the widening digital divide, which also magnifies the existing mobility challenges such as mobility poverty and transport inequity. Focusing on the contemporary era in East Asia, this study examines the smart mobility transition in Hong Kong as a case study. The data from a territory-wide survey conducted in 2023 is analyzed to understand the perspectives of preconceived marginalized citizens – namely older citizens, citizens with lower education levels, and citizens with lower incomes – towards the smart mobility transition. The findings reveal significant differences in how preconceived marginalized citizens perceive smart elements in their daily commutes, particularly concerning smartphone usage for route planning, data sharing related to digital mobility services, and the factors they prioritize when considering the usage of specific transportation modes. The results offer exploratory insights for decision-makers on implementing smart mobility initiatives that truly benefit marginalized citizens. Moreover, setting this study in Hong Kong can serve as a lens to illuminate the intersection between smart mobility transition and the perceptions of marginalized citizens in a metropolitan global city.
Biography
Calvin is a PhD Candidate of Research Training Group KRITIS at Technische Universität Darmstadt under the Faculty of Architecture. Calvin has four years of experience working in Hong Kong and Germany’s research groups, including working in the Department of Government and International Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, and in the research group Urban Transitions at the Wuppertal Institute. Calvin specializes in smart and sustainable urban development, urban policy studies, and developing assessment tools for city development. He holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Universität Duisburg-Essen, and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
