Smart cities and citizens: a question of technology? (EN)

In this lecture Prof. Verbeek will address the challenges of smart cities and the role of Internet of Things technologies in public space. He will offer a broad philosophical perspective on human-technology relationships, to provide a context for analyzing the specific and new roles of smart city technologies. On this basis, he will connect current discussions in philosophy of technology with practices of urban planning, design and policymaking. Building on the theory of technological mediation, Prof. Verbeek will investigate how technologies can contribute to the quality of life of (urban) citizens, create new political configurations, and require new forms of citizenship. He will argue that we need to broaden the perspectives from which we look at the influence of the digital domain on the analogue city and bring ethical considerations to the center of the smart city and citizens debate.