Category: Uncategorized

From the reading “100 billion dollar jackpot”, Townsend describe Songdo as the model for new megacity which has been input all kinds of high-tech related infrastructure. The FPID system, the central central computer to process tons one information at one time. One smart card will support one individual basic daily routine. However, he still mention the conflict between the use of date and personal privacy. As long as we relaying on computer, the risk of lost identity will be high. Just because I believe the computer/ internet or the digital system we have today is too easy to be hacked. And the usership and ownership of data still unclear. So my question is is there a way which we as the creator of our own digital footprint can have equal right as others whoever use our data. And will this cause the serious problem?

From same reading, Townsend also mention the situation at China. I do not think the city like Songdo will be established at China. Because of the Land and the population. China is much bigger than Korea, the need for creating a new land is not essential. But the idea of investing high-tech infrastructure is necessary. Just like what NYC did: keep the old city structure, and adding new infrastructure. Is building a new city from nothing necessary if we have a small city to investigate. The city with nature growth will have much more city culture behind it. In China, there are numbers of secondary cities which is waiting for new investment. By developing those city, the economic will flourishing.

In the reading, ” Test Bed As Urban Epistemology”, author talked a lot about idea of test bed. Base on the knowledge form pervious reading. Songdo is the result of applying new technology in building city process. It is totally different story form organic grow city or planed city which change over time. It is more like a sudden thing. As test bed, there are many thing has be to test. Will the testing process benefit the civilian’s life? If the failing of test will compromise the need of civilian. The article mentioned the test bed is not stable but mobile. Test bed is not about private area but territories. Are these qualities against the essential idea of home and village?

Smarty city – Townsend

 “It was a full fledged crisis of control…Never before had the processing of material flows threatened to exceed the capacity of technology to contain them”, The telegraph was developed in reaction to the communicative/organizational crisis brought fourth by the industrial boom in the 1800s, now almost 150 years later “enhancing global competitiveness, innovation and standard of living” is Wim Elfink’s reason for pursuing a global communications network infrastructure, but how hard is communicating/organizing as is? Are we/our businesses in the face of a communicational breakdown or is a global network merely a corporal pitch to collect, analyze and sell our data to major third party corporations?

 Is the promise of a smart city worth “surrendering to the guardians behind the screen”? Have we not already?

Smart Urbanism: Utopian vision or False dawn?

 Does corporations’ pursuit of smart systems as an opportunity to boost profit revenues and market share effectively prevent the informed public of their belief in the technology’s ability to better our lives? Or can we look at it from a smart citizen’s perspective as the promise of a more efficient, traversable platform on which we can bring new inventions to light; interacting in a way we never thought possible?

 “Every wall every surface can become an interface that offers users everything..”, “Their hope is to use this latent reserve of date gathered on users to produce services that can be paid for through advertising”, Are those “integrated services” really smarter than the capabilities available on our phones today? Is the “reward” worth assuming the risk of more insecurely connected devices?

Does it not seem that as the city becomes smarter as a result of corporations like Cisco and IFEZ’s efforts, our “cognitive freedom” will become more of a commodity? That our privacy in some cases will be a thing of the past – “Legal system in Songdo is being lobbied to enact changes in privacy laws that would allow transfer of medical data outside of the hospital”

 “There can be no smartness without dumbness” Does the dumb become smarter as the city does or does he effectively morph into a bit?

Form the reading Townsend, there are so many positive imagination about the development of technology especially in telecommunication. But what will the negative side of it. Just like industrialization, it change the world dramatically. Undeniably, there are huge consequences. Will the telecommunication technology become the force for decentralization. And because the technologies, will it limit the mobility or the willingness of moving? Since we can view everything though the small device. Also, the privacy. The digital process of smart city at some level violate the our privacy, such as tracking information. Most importantly, the physical communication. Smart city/ smart device should design for easy commutation. Now, at some level it is doing opposite thing.

Another question from Townsend reading is about the rapidly growth of city. In developing countries as well as developed countries, people move to urban for job opportunities and living condition. As the growth of city population, the infrastructure could be the problem. And the pattens of growing has been repeated in so many cities. What will be the need to develop same city all over the world. It question the definition of city just like Hill mentioned on his essay. Will it be better to slow down the development of smart city, make it customized for different location.

For Hill’s essay, his ideas of ‘Data>Information>Knowledge>Wisdom’ paradigm drawn the different aspect about computerized process. What will be more trustable, the data the being process by code or the wisdom that we have. His idea about the responsibility behind the decision making make me think about the role we play after having smart city. What can we do if computer take over the most process. Should we rely on computer or it is the tool just like a ruler.
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