Data Governance for Hyperlocal Exposure and Mobility
Hyperlocal exposure models rely on phone signals, transit cards, wearables, and environmental sensors to understand who experiences heat, pollution, or flooding. Governance frameworks establish consent standards, differential privacy techniques, and community ownership so datasets cannot be weaponized for surveillance or redlining. Data cooperatives let residents decide how insights are shared with planners, insurers, or researchers, while fiduciary data stewards enforce purpose limitations.
Cities deploy mobility and exposure data to target cooling centers, adjust bus routes, or prioritize tree planting in hotter neighborhoods. Health systems monitor asthma hotspots in real time, and employers adjust shift schedules during extreme heat. Yet without guardrails, the same data could enable discriminatory policing or exploit gig workers. Governance models therefore require algorithmic audits, data minimization, and opt-out pathways, plus redress mechanisms if harms occur.
This field is TRL 3–4. Pilot projects in Barcelona, Los Angeles, and Lagos show how civic tech alliances can balance utility and privacy. Standards bodies and regulators (OECD, EU AI Act, US NTIA) are drafting rules for sensitive mobility data. Embedding ethics from the outset ensures hyperlocal intelligence improves resilience without deepening inequities.
