Stupid Cities_part 1: Form & Space

While the technological components of Smart City and what each technological system can do is impressive, the representation of Form and Space of Smart Cities is increasingly caricatured, with a generic axonometric image stamped with icons, Wi-Fi symbols and acronyms. Following that is a long description on IoTs, Servers, Networks, real time mitigation of services and everyone’s favourite autonomous vehicles, yet there is no specificity to this technology’s influence on form and space.

The two big technological advancements, electricity and the internet were able to seep seamlessly into oldest of the old city cores from gothic quarter of Barcelona to Beijing without asserting any impact / influence on existing urban form and space. So if someone is going to claim that a bunch of IoT devices and real time data flows are going to shape urban form and space ("in ways we have never imagined!"...all presented on ppt with black slides and vague Matrix like graphics that don't mean zilch)....we as professionals working in design of Built Environments should insist on what does it look like???!!!

One exception that has had an impact on urban space is the invention of automobiles. In which case, Frank Lloyd Wright was able to interpret his image of a new city influenced by the technology of the automobile in the form of Broadacre City. 

Which again brings us to what does it look like?!

Note: above is a summary of an ongoing discussion with my colleague and friend Konstantinos Dimitrantzos. It reflects only our opinion and not of our current or any previous employers. We come in peace, etc.