# Crowdsourcing the Robin Hood effect in cities

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.08394 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1604.08394/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 28 Apr 2016.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [The Impact of Large Language Models on Open-source Innovation: Evidence from GitHub Copilot](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.08379/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Socioeconomic inequalities in cities are embedded in space and result in neighborhood effects, whose harmful consequences have proved very hard to counterbalance efficiently by planning policies alone. Considering redistribution of money flows as a first step toward improved spatial equity, we study a bottom-up approach that would rely on a slight evolution of shopping mobility practices. Building on a database of anonymized credit card transactions in Madrid and Barcelona, we quantify the mobility effort required to reach a reference situation where commercial income is evenly shared among neighborhoods. The redirections of shopping trips preserve key properties of human mobility, including travel distances. Surprisingly, for both cities only a small fraction (~ 5 %) of trips need to be altered to reach equity situations, improving even other sustainability indicators. The method could be implemented in mobile applications that would assist individuals in reshaping their shopping practices, to promote the spatial redistribution of opportunities in the city.