Sepehr, Pouya | Iran

Pouya Sepehr is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the George Simmel Centre for Urban Studies, Humboldt University of Berlin. He holds a PhD and MA in Science-Technology-Society (STS) from the University of Vienna and has a diverse interdisciplinary background in urban studies, environmental innovation, and the governance of technological infrastructures. His research focuses on the intersection of science, technology, and society, particularly in European urban contexts, where he explores the societal impacts of technological and environmental transformations.
 

Project at IAS-STS: JUST-ACT: Justice in Active Urban Mobility – A Comparison for Austria’s Transformation

JUST-ACT addresses the pressing need to rethink urban mobility systems, emphasizing sustainability, inclusivity, and justice. Inspired by Mimi Sheller’s concept of "Mobility Justice" and critiques of automobility, the project focuses on reshaping traffic light systems to prioritize active mobility, such as walking and cycling, which have been historically marginalized by car-centric designs. Vienna, a pioneer in urban traffic management, serves as the focal point of this research, but the findings will have implications across Austria.The project aims to design traffic systems that equitably serve all urban residents, regardless of their mode of transport, gender, age, or socioeconomic status. By studying global best practices from cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Paris, and Zurich, JUST-ACT will offer policy recommendations to transform Austria's urban spaces into models of sustainable and just mobility. Aligned with Austria’s Mobility Master Plan 2030, this project will integrate AI-driven solutions and innovative concepts to reduce emissions and foster a shared mobility culture. Ultimately, JUST-ACT envisions a future where Austrian cities lead in smart, inclusive, and sustainable mobility.
 

Selected Publications:

Sepehr, Pouya. 2024. "Mundane Urban Governance and AI Oversight: The Case of Vienna'sIntelligent Pedestrian Traffic Lights." Journal of Urban Technology, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/10630732.2024.2302280

Felt, Ulrike, and Pouya Sepehr. 2024. "Infrastructuring Citizenry in Smart City Vienna:Investigating Participatory Smartification between Policy and Practice." Journal of ResponsibleInnovation, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2024.2313303

Sepehr, Pouya and Ulrike Felt. 2023. "Urban Imaginaries as Tacit Governing Devices: TheCase of Smart City Vienna." Science, Technology, & Human Values, 48(9), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/01622439231178597

Sepehr, Pouya. 2023. "Post-Automobility Futures: Technology, Power, andImaginaries." Mobility Humanities, 2(1), 164-167. DOI: 10.23090/MH.2023.01.2.1.164

Sepehr, Pouya. 2024. "Should I stay, or should I go? Questioning the ‘smartness’ of intelligentpedestrian traffic lights in Vienna." In The Smartification of Everything, University of Toronto Press.

Sepehr, Pouya and Erik Aarden. 2023. "Between Straight Lines and Winding Alleys: Streetsas Boundary Objects in the Transnational Modernisation of Urban Planning in Iran." In Politicsof Urban Knowledge, Routledge.