Talk by Armin Beverungen, Ulf Treger and Maja-Lee Voigt at the Speaker Series “Delivery Exception – Supply Chain Justice & Reconciliation” organized by Matthew Hockenberry
In this talk we presented some of the findings of the research project „Automating the Logistical City“. Amazon has become a key actor in remaking our cities in the image of what the architectural theorist Matthew Stewart has called „Amazon Urbanism“. We try to trace this Amazon urbanism in its everyday operations of last mile delivery. Here the mundane impact of Amazon on cities becomes apparent, in the way it organizes logistical labour, develops algorithmic architectures, and occupies and refigures space. At the centre of our attention are how Amazon changes labour regimes and algorithmically manages logistical labour, how it enrols particular logics and practices of coding and machine learning (such as competitions) in its operations, and how this impacts urban space. We will in particular draw out questions of justice along the three dimensions, and point to the ways these are entangled, for example with regards to questions of algorithmic justice in labour management or spatial justice in relation to migrant labour.
Watch the talk here.