Bjarne van der Drift
Design of the Urban Fabric
Platform Urbanism Beyond Colonization and Commodification: Designing the Platform Before It Designs Us
The rapid upsurge of the platform economy is producing profound changes to the way in which urban areas are functioning. With digital technology putting roots down in the fields of public transport, hospitality and the service industry, it opened up possibilities for new platform economy companies to capitalize on the activities of these traditional public services. On some occasions, serious disruptions of existing systems occur, while in other cases it may unveil opportunities to improve the functionality of public life in cities. This thesis project entails an extensive multi-facetted analysis, particularly providing insight into the externalities of flash delivery platforms, as they claim their place in cities and influence urban planning practice. Furthermore, in order to move towards a more hopeful future of platform urbanism, the project offers design-based interventions to generate synergies between digital platforms and the traditional functionality of public services to provide creative solutions.