Extending Time-Geographic Concepts in a Hybrid Physical-Virtual World

Keywords: time geography, hybrid physical-virtual space, human dynamics
Session Type: Virtual Paper Abstract
Day: Sunday
Session Start / End Time: 2/27/2022 03:40 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/27/2022 05:00 PM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 58

Abstract

Time geography was conceptualized in the 1960s when human activities and interactions mostly occurred in physical space. Conventional time-geographic framework and concepts therefore were developed with a focus on absolute space and physical place. With the technological advances in the last few decades, we now live in a smart, connected, mobile, and dynamic world. Human activities and interactions have been increasingly taking place in virtual space enabled by information and communication technologies (ICT). These virtual human activities and interactions, which interact with those activities and interactions in physical space, have created different kinds of human dynamics in an increasingly hybrid physical-virtual world. Coupled with the advances in sensing and mobile technologies, it is feasible to collect human dynamics data in both physical and virtual spaces at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution levels in the so-called Big Data era. These changes have presented both opportunities and challenges to time geography with regard to its framework and concepts in support of human dynamics research in a hybrid physical-virtual world. This presentation discusses how some key time-geographic concepts can be extended to enhance our abilities of studying human dynamics in today’s hybrid physical-virtual world.