Daily Mobility, Social Norms and Deviance

Understanding the implicit role of daily routine mobility in social norm formation provides avenues for regulating human behaviour through environmental design. The focus of this presentation will be on the way in which different forms of data can be utilised to better understand the nuances of 'normal', everyday life that serve as precursors to both pro-social encounters and deviance; but can also serve as opportunities for everyday citizens to act as guardians in places they identify as their 'territorial space'. Drawing on surveys, mobile-phone data, and smart-card travel data, the studies presented here demonstrate the nuanced ways in which mobility shapes the social dynamics of urban spaces. The findings suggest that, to prevent deviance, we first need a better understanding of the social and physical contexts that foster a sense of collective responsibility and encourage compliance with social norms.