About the project
New digital on-demand ways of moving people, goods and services have recently emerged in cities worldwide. Consumers can now summon transport, goods and services through mobile apps at an instant, which are typically provided by ‘freelance’ independent workers. From travelling, to hiring a cleaner; and from ordering food to arranging a home repair, gig economy platforms such as Uber, Deliveroo and Airtasker are radically reconfiguring labour and life for consumers, workers and industries.
Through research with consumers, mobile workers, and industries, this project will provide in-depth qualitative data on the impacts of on-demand mobile work in cities. It will help us to understand how the positive and negative, geographically uneven impacts of digital platforms are affecting consumers, mobile workers and industry. It will help us to understand how everyday consumption and production practices of on-demand mobile work relate to changing governance structures. It will use the findings to recommend socially-just opportunities and policy interventions by the state, urban governance, industry and the community.
