While many municipal decision-makers view smart city development as the key direction for future urban development, concerns regarding potential social exclusion are emerging. Those social exclusions, manifested as the digital divide and access inequality, are further exacerbated by limited resources and lacking guidance for urban technology usage. Taking the COVID-19 pandemic as an example, where the usage of contact tracing applications became mandatory in Hong Kong, it was evident that citizens without access to these services faced restrictions on their movements, impacting their travel habits. This underlines the assumption that smartphone ownership is a basic human right to access digital services. This paper, using the post-pandemic period in Hong Kong as a case study, aims to investigate gendered differences in the usage of smartphone-based mobility services (SBMS). Through a territory-wide survey in 2023, along with expert and in-depth interviews, this paper reveals gendered differences encompassing types of SBMS, financial accessibility, daily travel routines, and encountered problems. This paper also delves into gendered attitudes towards smart mobility, revealing nuanced negativity across different aspects. These findings emphasize the importance of considering gendered differences when promoting digital mobility services as the primary option for future urban development initiatives.

CV

Calvin Ming Tsun Lai is a second-year PhD candidate in the Research Training Group KRITIS at the Technical University of Darmstadt’s Faculty of Architecture. Calvin specialises in smart and sustainable urban development, urban policy studies, and developing assessment tools for city development, and his current research focuses on the impact of urban digital transformation (primarily in the mobility sector) on society. Calvin has five years of experience working in Hong Kong’s and Germany’s research groups, including in the Department of Government and International Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, and Urban Transitions at the Wuppertal Institute. He holds an MSc in urban planning from the University of Duisburg-Essen, and a BEng in industrial engineering from Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Citation

Calvin Ming Tsun Lai, “Smart City Transition: A Gendered Lens on Analysing Mobility Challenges among Marginalized Citizens in Hong Kong”, insightOut. Journal on Gender and Sexuality in STEM Collections and Cultures, 2 (2024), S. 46-58, DOI: 10.60531/insightout.2024.2.8