No One Likes A City That’s Too Smart
Smart cities are making the headlines of newspapers and symposia on urban planning. Rightly or wrongly, they—sometimes simultaneously—intrigue or concern people. Cities situated at the fringe of the world that have barely been founded are universally known even before having any residents. Whatever their potential, this overexposure is a sign of the times; reflective of our concerns with the way that technology will affect our lifestyles. In his study of smart cities, Richard Sennett compares Songdo, Masdar and Rio to promote a vision in which technology will improve coordination and collaboration, as opposed to preconception, circumscription and control—actions that would render cities barren. Richard Sennet is a historian and sociologist. He teaches at the London School of Economics and at Columbia University.
