Smart cities- Townsend
What does he mean by the Internet of people gave way to the Internet of things? Is ‘Big Data’ referred to as an Internet of Things? On the other hand, are the ‘Internet of Things’ translated as data to be able to measure it? (symbolic / numeric data when comparing A.I machines to humans).
‘Digital revolution didn’t kill cities. In fact, cities everywhere are flourishing because new technologies make them even more valuable and effective as face-to-face gathering place.’ Does this reinforce Jane Jacob’s view on cities and people, “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” In addition, Haque’s point of view, ‘Smartness arises in expanded human interactions and creativity, not in physical infrastructures and this is most important in the urban context.’ Does the type of interaction play a role in the development of cities? Augmented interaction vs physical interaction.
By unlocking public databases and utilizing social media to create a responsive channel with citizens, where does privacy and security stand? How important is this data when it comes to technological inventions being effective and responsive to humans’ wants or needs?
Is the term smart city mutable, a term that changes overtime, how we combine information technology with infrastructure, architecture etc, determine what a smart city may become and hence redefine what a smart city is?
What is it to be a smart city? Usman Haque
Smart cities and its technologies target a certain type of demographic, so by limiting smart technologies (economically, politically and culturally) how successful or effective are these technologies currently? As Haque mentions, ‘in an age of extreme connectivity, when geographical specificity and proximity are no longer necessary for either trade or the exchange of ideas and the sense of ‘belonging’ transcends the boundaries of nation-states, what can justify the purposeful creation of new cities, not to mention so-called smart cities.’ Is the “Sense of belonging” threatened or is it protected and or encouraged in smart cities today?
‘The often-explicit assumption that the universe is formed with knowable and definable parameters assures us that if we were only able to measure them all, we would be able to predict and respond with perfection accordingly. This is best exemplified in the ‘Data>Information>Knowledge>Wisdom’ paradigm, which is founded on the mistaken notion of data purity.’ What is the idea behind data purity?
The promotion of the inevitability of smartness in cities rather cynically preys on both individuals’ fears for the future and organizational desires to rationalize their self-importance. Are the use of smart technology either in smart cities or in cities that lack such technologies, viewed with similar criticism and or should they be viewed from such a perspective?
To solve problems cities and humans face, can smart cities be applicable in places or areas or for people that need or want it: to have a choice, as opposed to smart cities and technology being imposed on one’s society? Would smart citizens help transition into more effective and productive Smart cities?
What parameters differentiate smart cities and smart citizens? Can one not exist in the other? Can a smart city not coexist with smart citizens? McLuhan mentions technologies being an extension or amputation, how are smart technologies and smart citizens perceived by keeping McLuhans point of view in mind.
What role does crowd-sourcing play in respect to smart citizens? How does it affect smart cities? Would it beneficial or harmful for smart cities to incorporate crowd-sourcing, when designing such technologies?