The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has spread in transportation systems more than in any other sector of urban planning, with digitization now pervasive in app-mediated mobility services. In this context, individual passenger transport intermediation platforms have emerged as a key expression of the data-driven capitalist system. These platforms generate profit by leveraging data, organizing operations through algorithms, and utilizing the ability to extract and analyze large volumes of information to identify trends and influence behaviors. This model relies on algorithmic management and labor precarization. Uber is a north american company, founded in 2010, that operates in 70 countries and over 10,500 cities. It exemplifies this phenomenon by mediating travel between drivers and passengers through its app. Even though the digital interface (app) and functionalities (e.g., dynamic pricing) employed by Uber in its algorithmic management may appear similar across different regions, the outcomes they produce are not always predictable. These effects depend on how social actors interpret the platform and the relationships that are created in their appropriation of the technology. This study examines the sociotechnical transformations of Uber in Curitiba, Paraná, from January 2014 to August 2024, and investigates how its operations have been spatialized within the territory. The research seeks to address a gap by demonstrating the process through the lens of relevant social groups, applying the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) framework. Using documentary evidence, interviews, and georeferenced data from rides mediated by the Uber platform, the study establishes a periodization as a method for analyzing the phenomenon. This approach leverages SCOT's analytical categories to visualize and discuss the transformations in Curitiba's territory. The findings reveal regulatory changes, such as the establishment of the institutional framework for Sharing Mobility Technology Administrators (ATTCs), and associative shifts involving both taxi companies and app-based drivers. Heatmap data suggest potential changes in travel patterns, particularly in specific everyday scenarios, such as accessing the bus terminal, shopping centers during night time and weekends, and nightlife hubs during early morning hours. This research provides an overview of the transformations that have taken place over the period outlined, and can serve as a basis for future studies that include thematic analyses of the use of private individual transportation mediated by platforms in the capital of Paraná.
The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has spread in transportation systems more than in any other sector of urban planning, with digitization now pervasive in app-mediated mobility services. In this context, individual passenger transport intermediation platforms have emerged as a key expression of the data-driven capitalist system. These platforms generate profit by leveraging data, organizing operations through algorithms, and utilizing the ability to extract and analyze large volumes of information to identify trends and influence behaviors. This model relies on algorithmic management and labor precarization. Uber is a north american company, founded in 2010, that operates in 70 countries and over 10,500 cities. It exemplifies this phenomenon by mediating travel between drivers and passengers through its app. Even though the digital interface (app) and functionalities (e.g., dynamic pricing) employed by Uber in its algorithmic management may appear similar across different regions, the outcomes they produce are not always predictable. These effects depend on how social actors interpret the platform and the relationships that are created in their appropriation of the technology. This study examines the sociotechnical transformations of Uber in Curitiba, Paraná, from January 2014 to August 2024, and investigates how its operations have been spatialized within the territory. The research seeks to address a gap by demonstrating the process through the lens of relevant social groups, applying the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) framework. Using documentary evidence, interviews, and georeferenced data from rides mediated by the Uber platform, the study establishes a periodization as a method for analyzing the phenomenon. This approach leverages SCOT's analytical categories to visualize and discuss the transformations in Curitiba's territory. The findings reveal regulatory changes, such as the establishment of the institutional framework for Sharing Mobility Technology Administrators (ATTCs), and associative shifts involving both taxi companies and app-based drivers. Heatmap data suggest potential changes in travel patterns, particularly in specific everyday scenarios, such as accessing the bus terminal, shopping centers during night time and weekends, and nightlife hubs during early morning hours. This research provides an overview of the transformations that have taken place over the period outlined, and can serve as a basis for future studies that include thematic analyses of the use of private individual transportation mediated by platforms in the capital of Paraná.
AS TRANSFORMAÇÕES NA CONFIGURAÇÃO DO ARRANJO SOCIOTÉCNICO DA UBER EM CURITIBA E SUA RELAÇÃO COM O TERRITÓRIO
ROCHA FARIA JORGE, DEBORA
2024
Abstract
The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has spread in transportation systems more than in any other sector of urban planning, with digitization now pervasive in app-mediated mobility services. In this context, individual passenger transport intermediation platforms have emerged as a key expression of the data-driven capitalist system. These platforms generate profit by leveraging data, organizing operations through algorithms, and utilizing the ability to extract and analyze large volumes of information to identify trends and influence behaviors. This model relies on algorithmic management and labor precarization. Uber is a north american company, founded in 2010, that operates in 70 countries and over 10,500 cities. It exemplifies this phenomenon by mediating travel between drivers and passengers through its app. Even though the digital interface (app) and functionalities (e.g., dynamic pricing) employed by Uber in its algorithmic management may appear similar across different regions, the outcomes they produce are not always predictable. These effects depend on how social actors interpret the platform and the relationships that are created in their appropriation of the technology. This study examines the sociotechnical transformations of Uber in Curitiba, Paraná, from January 2014 to August 2024, and investigates how its operations have been spatialized within the territory. The research seeks to address a gap by demonstrating the process through the lens of relevant social groups, applying the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) framework. Using documentary evidence, interviews, and georeferenced data from rides mediated by the Uber platform, the study establishes a periodization as a method for analyzing the phenomenon. This approach leverages SCOT's analytical categories to visualize and discuss the transformations in Curitiba's territory. The findings reveal regulatory changes, such as the establishment of the institutional framework for Sharing Mobility Technology Administrators (ATTCs), and associative shifts involving both taxi companies and app-based drivers. Heatmap data suggest potential changes in travel patterns, particularly in specific everyday scenarios, such as accessing the bus terminal, shopping centers during night time and weekends, and nightlife hubs during early morning hours. This research provides an overview of the transformations that have taken place over the period outlined, and can serve as a basis for future studies that include thematic analyses of the use of private individual transportation mediated by platforms in the capital of Paraná.I documenti in SFERA sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
