Discussing teleworking and travel implications in Barcelona from a gender perspective

Abstract

Two decades ago, information and communication technologies were expected to precipitate changes, manifesting in the reorganisation of mobility patterns. The pandemic led to a disruption in the established daily routines, prompting a surge in e-commerce, e-learning and remote working. However, reports indicate disparities in access to e-services and mobility reduction. Nowadays, the prevalence of e-commerce and the practice of remote work is indeed widespread but in-depth analyses are necessary. The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of teleworking practices and their impact on everyday mobility considering individual's characteristics, such as gender, place of residence, family structure and other sociodemographic characteristics in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona. This paper is based on a data-driven approach, based on sequence analysis of individual profiles and clustering techniques to examine the impact of teleworking on mobility choices and spatiotemporal patterns. Our results show that there are significant differences in teleworking practices according to the area of residence, education, and having young children in the household. Interestingly, gender does not play a determinant role as such, but rather as a combination of factors, including young children in the household or high educational level. Furthermore, this study highlights inequalities, individuals likely to have face-to-face working arrangements tend to have lower education levels, likely to live in poor-deserved public transport areas. The implications of this study are of relevance for transport and city planning policy interventions.