Rob Kitchin: Navigating smart cities

The vision of the smart city promises efficient administration, improved quality of life for its residents, and a major contribution to sustainability. But what are the logics and ideals behind these promises and expectations? What are the perils when urban planning is determined by technology and data?
In his lecture, Rob Kitchin addresses a number of political and normative questions related to smart cities. He discusses the ethical values and principles that determine the desirable urban environment we want to create and live in. Therefore, his presentation explores how these measures ensure equal access to technology and decision-making, foster social justice and agency among all citizens. It also examines how these concerns are conceived and operationalised within smart cities around the world. How do these models and visions vary internationally, for example, between Asian and European countries? The final part of the talk will explore the ‘right to the smart city’ and ‘decentering the smart city’. How can these notions be used to create cities that truly prioritise human needs?
Rob Kitchin is a professor at Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute and Department of Geography. His research examines the production of digital geographies and his present ERC-funded project (2022-27) is ‘Data Stories: Telling Stories About and With Planning and Property Data’. He is the (co)author or (co)editor of 36 academic books and (co)author of over 200 articles and book chapters, including the edited works Dialogues in Human Geography, Progress in Human Geography and Social and Cultural Geography. He is a recipient of the Royal Irish Academy’s Gold Medal for the Social Sciences.
The event took place on 14 May 2024, 7pm, at AUDIF Auditorium Friedrichstraße.
The moderation was done by Tobi Müller.
--
Follow us on social media and stay up to date on the digital society 🚀.
X/Twitter: hiig_berlin
LinkedIn: hiigberlin
Instagram: hiigberlin
Facebook: hiig.berlin