Coding Out Justice: Digital Platforms’ Enclosure of Public Transit in Cities

Abstract

This paper argues that when platform companies like Uber partner with cities to enfold public transit options into their apps, they establish themselves as obligatory passage points for individuals seeking city information or accessing city services. In the process, private platforms become the interfaces through which people experience the city and themselves in it. Platform enclosure of this sort threatens the long-term viability of urban transit systems and their capacity to provide equitable service.

Keywords: platforms, Uber, public transit, social justice

JEL Classification: Urban Studies, Economic Anthropology, Class & Status