Crossing borders: uberization and logistics in the periphery of capitalism

Abstract

This article discusses urban implications of the platformization of work through direct observation of the daily work routine and political action of app-based delivery drivers in the São Paulo macro metropolis. By relating the phenomenon to the production restructuring of capitalism and financialization, it seeks to discuss new forms of informality and precarious work that are intertwined with contemporary urban dynamics and new technologies. The article shows that the connection between urban circulation spaces, logistical infrastructures, and digital platforms reorganizes the city and intensifies control over the flow of goods and bodies, transforming the relationship between the urban dimension and political subjects by multiplying the conflict and negotiation borders between the physical reality of the city and the cloud.

Keywords
logistics; uberization; urban informality; platformization; financialization