IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v57y2025i6p810-825.html

From platform capitalism to strategic place-based platformisation?

Author

Listed:
  • Mike Hodson

    (Sustainable Consumption Institute and Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK)

  • Andrew McMeekin

    (Sustainable Consumption Institute and Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK)

  • Andy Lockhart

    (Sustainable Consumption Institute and Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK)

Abstract

Digital platforms have pervaded a broad sweep of urban life over the last decade and more. Urban mobility platforms have been particularly prevalent, often seeking to disrupt and provide alternatives to the existing organisation of provision. In this paper we argue that there is a need to strengthen understanding of the role of urban (governing and infrastructural) context in platform urbanism. Moving from debates around platform capitalism, where understanding of the role of the urban is relatively ignored, to platform urbanism, where the mutual shaping of platform and urban has been recognised, we argue that the urban can and should be conceived of more strongly as a site of possibility, where platformisation can be strategically shaped in pursuit of public priorities. The implications of this are potentially profound but poorly understood. We respond to this by developing a framework that extends existing thinking in this area via a critical synthesis of platform capitalism and platform urbanism literatures, illustrated by empirical research in two English metropolitan public transport contexts. There are signs of place-based interests seeking to corral platform technologies and existing systems of provision into new configurations that support public control of platformised systems for the pursuit of public priorities and values. We set out the relevance of the framework for contexts beyond those in which we have conducted research.

Suggested Citation

  • Mike Hodson & Andrew McMeekin & Andy Lockhart, 2025. "From platform capitalism to strategic place-based platformisation?," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 57(6), pages 810-825, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:57:y:2025:i:6:p:810-825
    DOI: 10.1177/0308518X251342914
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0308518X251342914
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/0308518X251342914?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ashlin Lee & Adrian Mackenzie & Gavin J. D. Smith & Paul Box, 2020. "Mapping Platform Urbanism: Charting the Nuance of the Platform Pivot," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(1), pages 116-128.
    2. Gawer, Annabelle, 2014. "Bridging differing perspectives on technological platforms: Toward an integrative framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 1239-1249.
    3. Nancy Odendaal, 2022. "Splintering by Proxy: A Reflection on the Spatial Impacts and Distributed Agency of Platform Urbanism," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(1), pages 21-27, January.
    4. Sybille Bauriedl & Anke Strüver, 2020. "Platform Urbanism: Technocapitalist Production of Private and Public Spaces," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(4), pages 267-276.
    5. van der Graaf, Shenja & Ballon, Pieter, 2019. "Navigating platform urbanism," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 364-372.
    6. Andrea Pollio & Liza Rose Cirolia & Jack Ong'iro Odeo, 2023. "ALGORITHMIC SUTURING: Platforms, Motorcycles and the ‘Last Mile’ in Urban Africa," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(6), pages 957-974, November.
    7. Harracá, Martín & Castelló, Itziar & Gawer, Annabelle, 2023. "How Digital Platforms Organize Immaturity: A Sociosymbolic Framework of Platform Power," Business Ethics Quarterly, Cambridge University Press, vol. 33(3), pages 440-472, July.
    8. de Reuver, Mark & Sørensen, Carsten & Basole, Rahul C., 2018. "The digital platform: a research agenda," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 80669, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. K. Sabeel Rahman & Kathleen Thelen, 2019. "The Rise of the Platform Business Model and the Transformation of Twenty-First-Century Capitalism," Politics & Society, , vol. 47(2), pages 177-204, June.
    10. Sybille Bauriedl & Anke Strüver, 2020. "Platform Urbanism: Technocapitalist Production of Private and Public Spaces," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(4), pages 267-276.
    11. Ashlin Lee & Adrian Mackenzie & Gavin J. D. Smith & Paul Box, 2020. "Mapping Platform Urbanism: Charting the Nuance of the Platform Pivot," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 5(1), pages 116-128.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. John A. Mathews, 2020. "Schumpeterian economic dynamics of greening: propagation of green eco-platforms," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(4), pages 929-948, September.
    2. Gawer, Annabelle & Harracá, Martín, 2025. "Inconsistent platform governance and social contagion of misconduct in digital ecosystems: A complementors perspective," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(8).
    3. Dolata, Ulrich & Schrape, Jan-Felix, 2022. "Platform architectures: The structuration of platform companies on the Internet," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2022-01, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    4. Gomes, Leonardo Augusto de Vasconcelos & Flechas, Ximena Alejandra & Facin, Ana Lucia Figueiredo & Borini, Felipe Mendes, 2021. "Ecosystem management: Past achievements and future promises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    5. Kluzik, Vicky, 2022. "Governing invisibility in the platform economy: Excavating the logics of platform care," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21.
    6. Dolata, Ulrich, 2024. "Industry platforms: A new mode of coordination in the economy," Research Contributions to Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies, SOI Discussion Papers 2024-02, University of Stuttgart, Institute for Social Sciences, Department of Organizational Sociology and Innovation Studies.
    7. Mucha, Tomasz & Seppälä, Timo, 2020. "Artificial Intelligence Platforms – A New Research Agenda for Digital Platform Economy," ETLA Working Papers 76, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    8. Dietlmeier, Simon Frederic & Floetgen, Rob Jago & Urmetzer, Florian, 2024. "Performance of B2B Platform Partnership Management," MPRA Paper 120610, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Boris Otto & Matthias Jarke, 2019. "Designing a multi-sided data platform: findings from the International Data Spaces case," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 29(4), pages 561-580, December.
    10. Peng, Hui & Lu, Yaobin & Gupta, Sumeet, 2023. "Promoting value emergence through digital platform ecosystems: Perspectives on resource integration in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    11. Andreas Hein & Maximilian Schreieck & Tobias Riasanow & David Soto Setzke & Manuel Wiesche & Markus Böhm & Helmut Krcmar, 2020. "Digital platform ecosystems," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 30(1), pages 87-98, March.
    12. Mosch, Philipp & Majocco, Philipp & Obermaier, Robert, 2023. "Contrasting value creation strategies of industrial-IoT-platforms – a multiple case study," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    13. Dimitri Petrik & Simon Hiller & Dominik Morar, 2025. "Digital platforms for circular economy: Empirical development of a taxonomy and archetypes," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 35(1), pages 1-25, December.
    14. Guo Bai & S. Ramakrishna Velamuri, 2021. "Contextualizing the Sharing Economy," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(4), pages 977-1001, June.
    15. Jørgen Veisdal, 2020. "The dynamics of entry for digital platforms in two-sided markets: a multi-case study," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 30(3), pages 539-556, September.
    16. Malgorzata Poniatowska-Jaksch & Katarzyna Nowicka, 2021. "Transport Platforms in the EU towards Sustainable Development," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2 - Part ), pages 779-797.
    17. Asta Pundziene & Neringa Gerulaitiene & Sea Matilda Bez & Irène Georgescu & Christopher Mathieu & Jordi Carrabina-Bordoll & Josep Rialp-Criado & Hannu Nieminen & Alpo Varri & Susanne Boethius & Mark v, 2023. "Value capture and embeddedness in social-purpose-driven ecosystems," Post-Print hal-04147723, HAL.
    18. Ruben Tessmann & Ralf Elbert, 2022. "Multi-sided platforms in competitive B2B networks with varying governmental influence – a taxonomy of Port and Cargo Community System business models," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 32(2), pages 829-872, June.
    19. Saadatmand, Fatemeh & Lindgren, Rikard & Schultze, Ulrike, 2019. "Configurations of platform organizations: Implications for complementor engagement," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(8), pages 1-1.
    20. Junling Zhou & Pohsun Wang & Lingfeng Xie, 2024. "RETRACTED ARTICLE: Exploring the Interplay Between Small-Scale Commerce and Traffic Flow Dynamics in Macao Historical Districts for Sustainable Urban Development," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(3), pages 13919-13945, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:57:y:2025:i:6:p:810-825. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.