Splintering by Proxy: A Reflection on the Spatial Impacts and Distributed Agency of Platform Urbanism

Insight into the socio-technical dynamics of infrastructure unbundling and the impact on urban space is perhaps one of the most enduring conceptual legacies of the Splintering Urbanism thesis. Expanding the analysis of urban infrastructure beyond the material has enabled a reconsideration of the socio-material dynamics contained therein and the actors represented. Two decades later, digital disruptive commercial enterprises such as Uber and Airbnb have broadened this playing field as Silicon Valley enters the local urban realm. This piece reflects on the extent to which this reconfiguration of urban services, media, and technology affect the market forces and range of choices available to urban dwellers. By considering the relationships between platforms and space and the infrastructural elements of such, the paper concludes on the notion of “splintering by proxy:” how the use of digital platforms enrolls the urban dweller as an active contributor in the continued shaping of urban space through distributed agency. This creates opportunities for emancipatory practices that could contribute to more inclusive cities.