Women’s experiences with light rail in a Finnish “smart city”: the technological acceleration of public transport vs. daily realities

Through the case study of women’s experiences after the introduction of a modern light rail system in Tampere, Finland, this article examines the relation between technological development and gendered mobility within urban public transport systems. Using travel diaries and interviews, we find that the experiences of women using the tram reveal a discrepancy between the official “smart city mobility” discourse and the materiality and sociality of lived realities. We frame our findings as part of a fundamental conflict between technological acceleration to sustain economic growth and key elements of human experience, such as reliability, slowness, and social interaction. This conflict extends far beyond the realm of gendered mobilities, posing a challenge to the overall welfare and future of humanity. Our research points toward the need for more interdisciplinary mobilities research that could shed light on the general mechanisms underpinning the unsustainability of current human mobility systems.