"How UBER Conquered Washington D.C.:
Understanding the Big Tech Playbook for Exploiting Urban Crisis"
Friday, October 13, 2023
6:00pm - 8:00pm E.T.
Register to join us *in-person* (or register to get the *livestream* link):
CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies
25 West 43rd Street, 18th floor
New York, NY 10036 (map)
***
Join us to learn from KAFUI ATTOH, DECLAN CULLEN and KATIE WELLS as they discuss their new book, DISRUPTING D.C.: The Rise of Uber and the Fall of the City, a 360-degree view of an urban America in crisis. Uber arrived promising a new future for workers, residents, policymakers, and others. Ultimately, Uber’s success and growth was never a sign of urban strength or innovation but a sign of urban weakness and low expectations about what city politics can achieve. Understanding why Uber rose reveals just how far the rest of us have fallen.
EDWARD ONSWEGO, JR - who writes about the political economy of technology - joins the co-authors to discuss big tech's playbook for exploiting economic crises in American cities.
Book signing and reception to follow the program.
Hosted by the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies.
Co-sponsored by the Institute for Public Knowledge at NYU.
***
About DISRUPTING D.C.
The first city to fight back against Uber, Washington, D.C., was also the first city where such resistance was defeated. It was here that the company created a playbook for how to deal with intransigent regulators and to win in the realm of local politics. The city already serves as the nation’s capital. Now, D.C. is also the blueprint for how Uber conquered cities around the world—and explains why so many embraced the company with open arms.
Drawing on interviews with gig workers, policymakers, Uber lobbyists, and community organizers, Disrupting D.C. demonstrates that many share the blame for lowering the nation’s hopes and dreams for what its cities could be. In a sea of broken transit, underemployment, and racial polarization, Uber offered a lifeline. But at what cost?
This is not the story of one company and one city. Instead, Disrupting D.C. offers a 360-degree view of an urban America in crisis. Uber arrived promising a new future for workers, residents, policymakers, and others. Ultimately, Uber’s success and growth was never a sign of urban strength or innovation but a sign of urban weakness and low expectations about what city politics can achieve. Understanding why Uber rose reveals just how far the rest of us have fallen.
BUY THE BOOK: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691249759/disrupting-dc
SAVE-THE-DATE IMAGE:
Please share widely -- thank you!
