The latest on the war over micromobility data - a conversation with David Zipper

Oliver Bruce
Podcast
March 9, 2020

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This week Oliver interviews journalist David Zipper again (following hisappearance on Episode 32) about the latest in the war over mobility datathat is being played out between cities and shared micromobility operators.David Zipper is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School'sTaubman Center for State and Local Government, where he examines theinterplay between urban policy and new mobility technologies.From 2013 to 2017 David was the Managing Director for Smart Cities andMobility at 1776, a global entrepreneurial hub with over 1,300 memberstartups and is still a Partner in the 1776 Seed Fund and consults withstartups including Optibus, Tortoise, and TransitScreen to help shape theirregulatory strategies.David has written a number of articles in Slate, CityLab, Fast Company andThe Atlantic covering, among other things, the rise and ongoing saga of theMobility Data Specification which we see as one of the building blocks tosupercharge micromobility’s growth, and underpin the future operatingsystems for mobility in our cities.In this episode, we dig into:- A recap of the Mobility Data Specifications, and why it is significant tocities and why micromobility is really the thin edge of the wedge when itcomes to important data from shared mobility operators.- The latest in the battle over real-time data requirements vs privacyadvocates, and the players on each side.- More details on the Uber <> LADOT stoush.- The development of the Open Mobility Foundation in the last 6 months, howtaking the standard out of the LADOT has impacted adoption/development andthe politics of the board members.- The impact of Europe’s massive growth in micromobility, their pursuit ofdiffering standards, and whether MDS has any value to add there.- Why the slow progress on these standards has created gaps that are beingfilled by startups, including Iomob and Token Transit. (Disclosure: Oliverand David advise them respectively)SHOW NOTESCityLab Daily: A City Sick of Tech Disrupters Becomes One by Laura Bliss

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