New urban habit

Abstract

Studies have shown that inner-city centers are continuously decreasing in general activity and popularity among their citizens. Digital technology could provide valuable insights into behavioral changes among the population. Digitalization poses new challenges and opportunities. This pilot study focuses on the foundation and future of data privacy and data protection of activity tracking to research the implications of transparent and conscious user data management. In the experiments, we conducted walking tours with focus groups (N=15) on the 8th and 18th of December in Basel city center to generate a overview of the opinions, inputs, and requirements. The experiment consisted of three parts. The “pre-experiment” questionnaire took place in the beginning. The goal was to understand how participants feel about the subject matter, how interested and knowledgeable they are, and how comfortable they feel with the current situation regarding the processing of personal data. The experiment continued walking through Basel’s city center in groups accompanied by a team member while tracked by the activity tracking app installed on the participants’ own mobiles. The app is called “Adidas Runtastic,” and it is mainly used for fitness-oriented physical activity tracking. Participants were given no restrictions on where to go. The scope was first to gather input regarding the participants’ usual shopping habits and their general opinions on the city center, such as favorite shops. Secondly, questions regarding potential gratifications posed such as coupons, free drinks, etc. Lastly, questions were asked regarding the data tracking, such as the comfort level of being tracked while showing participants the gathered data and whether they would feel comfortable sharing data with third parties. The last part was a “post-experiment” questionnaire conducted directly at the end of the experiment. The questions were focused on participants’ willingness and level of comfort to share their personal data with third parties.