Mobility

My exploration of mobility has been primarily informed by the work of

John Urry. I am currently reading through 'Mobilities' and specific

extracts from 'Mobile Technologies of the City'.

Both of these books focus initially on the more obvious interpretation

of mobility – movement. Urry talks about how mobility has been

integrated into the existing infrastructure to create a '...city in its

very design to function like a healthy body, freely flowing...'. It

suggests that this emphasis on mobility occurred after the cities were

originally built and has gradually developed as our technology has

advanced; Birmingham being quite a good example of this, with many

areas that seem to have been segmented by the introduction of

motorways, train lines, extension of public spaces etc.

Further reading explores how current developments in technology have

led to a shift in what mobility means. No longer does it refer to just

physical movement but also the movement of ideas and information.

Methods such as billboards, posters, leaflets etc have been around for

a long time, but with the movement into the digital age it is easier

than ever to distribute ideas.

'...the new hybrid interchanges of mobility and flow, as ICT's fuse

with, and reconfigure, the other mobility spaces and systems of urban

life, become critical and strategic sites at which the very political

organisation of space and society becomes continually remade.'

Urry suggests that informational and communicational mobility that has

emerged has led to changes in the patterns of movement through cities.

The introduction of Wi-Fi hotspots has meant that transitional spaces

(train stations, bus stations etc) are quickly turning into social hubs

where people can catch up with each other digitally or personally.

Through further studying of 'Mobilities' and 'Mobile Technologies of

the City' I hope to gain a more extensive knowledge of mobility as a

concept so I can apply this to the study of Stoke-on-Trent.

Nick Joyce