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Ridesourcing and urban inequality in Chicago: Connecting mobility disparities to unequal development, gentrification, and displacement

Author

Listed:
  • Rachel G McKane

    (Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences, Population Studies and Training Center, 6752Brown University, USA)

  • David J Hess

    (Department of Sociology, 5718Vanderbilt University, USA)

Abstract

Ridesourcing advocates and companies promise many benefits to cities, such as increased accessibility, a solution to the last-mile transit problem, and even reduced need for automobiles. However, an important body of research has indicated that ridesourcing is more heavily used by more privileged consumers and in more affluent and whiter neighborhoods. Questions have also emerged about the effects of ridesourcing on public transportation. This study builds on a mobility disparities perspective by analyzing ridesourcing in the context of urban inequality, including gentrification and displacement. Using a large data set from the Chicago area, this study shows that ridesourcing is associated with areas that have seen rising rents and have become whiter and more educated. The results also show that ridesourcing is more prevalent in areas that are accessible by public transportation. Although the causal relationship between ridesourcing and gentrification is complex, the study suggests a new direction in the literature that embeds the analysis of ridesourcing in the broader frameworks of unequal urban development and neoliberalization. The study also suggests policy approaches that could help to reduce some of the connections between ridesourcing and urban inequity.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel G McKane & David J Hess, 2022. "Ridesourcing and urban inequality in Chicago: Connecting mobility disparities to unequal development, gentrification, and displacement," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 54(3), pages 572-592, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:54:y:2022:i:3:p:572-592
    DOI: 10.1177/0308518X211047872
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    References listed on IDEAS

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