The Mobile Wallet and Urban Man:An examination of a contemporary encounter

Conclusion-The future of the mobile wallet in the city But is there one overwhelming urban activity around which the mobile wallet might prove meaningful to citizens? It is perhaps too early to determine that. It is reasonable to assume, however, that urban transit, with the recent emphasis of policymakers on urban sustainability, may be a prime area of focus. It is not difficult to see why. In the large cities around the emerging world, millions of people are already moved everyday by various forms of public transport. The number of transactions everyday could add up to a potentially significant revenue stream. In a way, the negatives that scholars associate with the networked city-such as the formation of elite islands, concentration of network resources in a few pockets, bypassing the poor(see Graham and Marvin, 2001)- may be mitigated to some extent by mass transit. It is usually cheap, classless and therefore democratic in a manner of speaking. People of different backgrounds rub shoulders together rather than be separated by the artificial distinctions of car-borne travel. An ecosystem of shops, residences and amenities springs up around it. The involvement of the mobile wallet with mass transit brings the two major networks in any city-telecommunications and public transport-visibly close to another in front of the citizens and delivers benefits to them. It would be prudent, however, for practitioners of mobile commerce to err on the side of caution. Nothing can, perhaps, be more unpredictable than human behaviour. It would be a mistake to make sweeping generalisations of growth and success. Instead, the relevance of the wallet for repeat purchases and the role it can play in different, complex scenarios, must be discussed. It is through such critique and repeated re-examination of the role of the mobile wallet in the urban context, that it can become successful for the long run.