all are really just a smoke screen for a much deeper set of political and even philosophical issues that will impact urban dwellers in the near future, especially as more than half’s the world’s population will soon be living in cities. That set of issues centers around the delicate dance between public and private ownership of space, both in the cloud and on the ground. — Future Perfect
Earlier this year Jan Chipchase, Executive Creative Director of Global Insights at frog – the global design and innovation company, wrote "The Networked Urban Environment" which explored a contemporary-future of cloud-urban infrastructures such as; “smart” car, “smart” parking and payment systems, and “smart” cities. While in these days of austerity, recession and crisis public/private partnerships promise, business-efficiencies, they bring possible pitfalls.
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Oh, great the commodification of parking spaces. It's only a matter of time then before the speculators get involved and we are all driving stuck on grid-locked streets looking for an available spot (even though there are plenty of empty spots plainly visible) because the market has created a parking bubble. Will the madness ever end?
The other problem with all of this "smart" city technology is that it relies on information of personal whereabouts and proclivities that could just as easily be read as surveillance. For centuries, part of the appeal of the city has been the anonymity it offers for someone to blend into the masses (as opposed to a small rural village where everyone knows you and everything that you do). Is "smart" tech really compatible with the city as humanity has known it? Or are we unwittingly entering a subtle, yet profoundly different city with implications that we haven't yet considered?
Yo!
@handsome the issue about surveillance and the tension between optimization of public/private infrastructure and privacy rights is exactly what Jan is concerned about.... I personally, couldn't agree more with you re: the link between urban life and anonymity....
Yes, of course. The BIG issue that he doesn't really address is the tendency for public/private partnerships to devolve into a dismal arrangement where the private concerns are able to siphon off large amounts of any profits while any financial losses seem to inevitably be picked up by the public entity and it's taxpayers.
"To give a sense of scale, there are 100 private funds seeking to raise $95 billion for infrastructure investments globally, according to research by San Francisco-based fund adviser Probitas Partners. "
If private interests are willing to invest $95B in public parking, you've gotta believe that they believe their risks are minimal. In good times, they may make money but if things turn sour, likely it's the government that'll pick up the costs. Of course, given the already cash-strapped nature of many public entities they have little choice but to sell assets. Which means they may very well end up selling the public parking to the private investors for pennies on the dollar. This further weakens the public coffers and cleverly transfers public assets to private concerns. Ultimately, this erodes public access and undermines the very notion of citizenship (with its accompanying rights) in a democracy.
Perhaps I'm alone in this, but I would rather see the government manage the public parking realm. Efficiency be damned.
Yo!
no i would agree. I am not a socialist or anything (:O) but i do think basic infrastructure should be government run not privatize or public/privatized/......
Handsum your exact scenario already happened in my town. And it happened because not enough people voted for the guy who explicitly stated he would not privatize parking. Gee what might have happened if more people had bothered to vote?
Is "smart" tech really compatible with the city as humanity has known it? Or are we unwittingly entering a subtle, yet profoundly different city with implications that we haven't yet considered?
Yeah I agree!
can't edit....
Anonymity gives a sense of freedom. The best thing about cities is that you can get lost in them. In that way, they are like jungles. This all adds a sense of adventure to the urban experiance.
It does not matter who you vote for. The privatization of your shitty country would or will happen regardless. The $$$ dictates this. America has already sold out and as all long as you keep voting, you explicitly endorse this. Republican/democrat/liberal/conservative/etc, it's all part of the massive American propaganda machine meant to keep your panties in a bunch while you are being robbed.
As for urban jungles/ freedom, as thrilling, fun and romantic as the city can be just imagine how oppressive it would feel if your every move is recorded & monitored? A "smart" city may sound enticing in good times or a utopia but imagine if things turn dark? What would a "smart" city have been in the hands of Nazis or Fascists? Terrifying, I would think.
Yo!
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