In part two of this four-part series on cities and technology, we turned our attention to smart cities. This concept gained some traction over the last decade as a technocratic solution to urban problems. Through the use of open data, widespread surveillance systems, and various digital data-generating tools, the smart city promised an apolitical suite of practices that could improve and optimize city governance and life. But as we learned in Part One, nothing about technology is politically neutral. We speak with four different scholars on their work in the smart cities arena and how it intersects with postcolonial critique, economic development, and the politics of open data. Visit our website for more information and a reading list.

GUESTS 

David Banks, SUNY, University at Albany 

Ryan Burns, University of Calgary 

Ayonna Datta, University College London 

Shannon Mattern, University of Pennsylvania 

Erin McElroy, University of Washington 

John Stehlin, University of North Carolina at Greensboro 

CREDITS 

Many thanks to the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University, the managing editors at Urban Affairs Review, and our guests for sharing their time and insights with us. The show’s music is “Hundred Mile” by K2, courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions. 

Producer and sound engineer: David Weems, Drexel University 

Executive Producer and writer: Emily Holloway, Associate Managing Editor, Urban Affairs Review. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first installment of a four-part series, we spoke with six scholars about how they think about technology in relation to the city and the urban. We drill into the etymology and anthropological implications of how technology really operates in our daily lives, and preview some of our discussions in the series.  

We could have created an entire show focused on this topic! But instead, we’re taking a wide-angled and ecumenical approach to general topics in urban studies. We hope to expose scholars, students, and practitioners of urban studies to diverse research methods and approaches to these themes. Visit our website for a full reading list.

Guests: 

David Banks, SUNY, University at Albany 

Ryan Burns, University of Calgary 

Ayonna Datta, University College London 

Shannon Mattern, University of Pennsylvania 

Erin McElroy, University of Washington 

John Stehlin, University of North Carolina at Greensboro 

Credits: 

Many thanks to the Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation at Drexel University, the managing editors at Urban Affairs Review, and our guests for sharing their time and insights with us. The show’s music is “Hundred Mile” by K2, courtesy of Blue Dot Sessions. 

Producer and sound engineer: David Weems, Drexel University 

Executive Producer and writer: Emily Holloway, Associate Managing Editor, Urban Affairs Review.  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COMING SOON! In this four-part series on cities and technology, we speak with six scholars about their research and perspectives on the role of technology in urban politics and culture. Stay tuned for the first episode, coming SEPTEMBER 5th.

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.