Conference Agenda

The rise of digital nomadism, where individuals combine remote work with travel, offers new opportunities for personal freedom and cross-cultural experiences, yet also presents challenges in maintaining romantic relationships. This study examines how digital nomads (DNs) navigate the complexities of romantic relationships while adhering to a nomadic lifestyle. Through participant observation, 20 in-depth interviews with DNs, and an analysis of the r/digitalnomad sub-reddit, this paper explores: 1) how DNs explain their experience with romantic relationships in relation to their lifestyle; 2) how they deal with the difficulties of forming and maintaining romantic relationships. Guided by relational work and inter-role conflict theories, we identify four conflict types within DNs’ romantic relationships: attitude-based (e.g., prioritizing the lifestyle over relationships), location-based (e.g., travel plans that conflict with the formation of stable romantic relations), time-based (e.g., time allocation choices), and money-based (e.g., not having sufficient financial resources to maintain a transient lifestyle). To address these conflicts, our interviewees used resource conservation, segmentation, and compensation mechanisms. The study highlights the prioritization of lifestyle over relationship stability and the critical role of boundary management in sustaining intimate bonds. Moreover, it identifies strategies DNs use to find partners within their lifestyle, including attending DN events organised via social media and using dating apps, though these practices come with their own challenges, particularly in navigating varying cultural norms. The paper contributes to our understanding of intimacy in the context of digital nomadism, offering insights into the evolving dynamics of romantic relationships in an increasingly mobile and digital world.

Latin American cities have been actively integrating micromobility services as part of people’s urban mobility habits. However, this integration lacked other sustainable mobility changes, such as access to bike paths, proper smartphones, and mobile internet. Much of the scholarship on shared transportation in the Global South does not analyze how they are integrated with sustainable and “just” ways of moving through the city. Often emerging technologies are appropriated into existing patterns of mobility injustice, perpetuating existing inequalities. This paper analyzes the development of electric scooters in Rio de Janeiro as a case of how micromobility is embedded into existing and systemic issues of mobility injustice. Drawing from news articles, we describe the diverse uses of scooters in Rio de Janeiro, and their integration with smartphones. Our findings help to contextualize micromobility in developing world mega-cities.

This submission reports on new research that leverages the updated model of Hybrid Space by recognizing the power dynamics – particularly unevenness in access, agency, and awareness – present in the way people experience (and produce) Hybrid Spaces. We demonstrate the unevenness of Hybrid Space by presenting findings from new research investigating the role of mobile media in the migration journey from Central and South America to the U.S. Southern border. Using on-site fieldwork and interviews, this research draws from Hybrid Space to examine how connectivity, mobilities, and sociability shape how people experience migration. The case of migration provides unique opportunities to leverage the conceptual extensions of Hybrid Space, while shifting its lens beyond the traditional focus on cities and urban settings. The precarious conditions of the migration journey offer traction for examining how power dynamics unfold through access, agency, and awareness. We take up these power dimensions of Hybrid Space to structure a discussion of findings from the migration study to illustrate conceptual updates.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly advanced over the past two decades, yet its governance remains fragmented. While the European Union’s AI Act (2024) and China’s AI regulations establish frameworks for oversight, the U.S. lacks a comprehensive national policy. U.S. governance efforts currently rely on voluntary risk-based frameworks, such as those developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The concept of AI risk, which categorizes AI applications based on their potential harms, has become central to regulatory discussions (Kaminski, 2023). However, risk-based governance often fails to account for broader ethical and societal concerns, particularly regarding transparency, accountability, and human rights (Nissenbaum, 2009; Smuha, 2021).

This study examines how U.S. cities are integrating AI into urban governance, focusing on risk perceptions, policy frameworks, and ethical considerations. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyze survey data from city employees, conduct participant observations within a national coalition of AI-focused cities, and co-design workshops on AI ethics. Preliminary findings indicate that municipal AI adoption is proceeding without clear policies, with employees using AI tools for various tasks while expressing concerns about accuracy, oversight, and human interaction. Nevertheless, cities are quietly working with each other to develop best practices and to create a language for applying AI ethically.

By situating AI governance within urban environments, this research highlights the limitations of risk-based regulatory models and the need for more participatory, context-sensitive approaches. Findings contribute to discussions on AI policy, ethical governance, and the role of cities as laboratories for AI experimentation.