[NetBehaviour] At Cybersalon tonight. Will We Be As Smart As Our Cities?

[marc garrett]

Will We Be As Smart As Our Cities?

New Urban Informatics
How can we outfox our Smart Cities?
http://www.cybersalon.org/smartcities2/

Smart cities tend to be described as top down creations where 
governments can monitor and surveil, leading in theory to greater 
efficiency of resources.

How can we take back our urban environments and make data work for us, 
innovating with respect for privacy, collaborating for fun and work, and 
enjoying the City on our terms?

This Cybersalon will discuss what we want our cities to become and how 
we can get involved with them to create the environments we seek.

Speakers

Usman Haque
London-based architect and artist who designs interactive architectural 
systems and is interested in the ways that people relate to each other 
and to their surrounding space. Umbrellium creates and commercialises 
participatory products and services that empower people to transform 
their cities. Umbrellium was awarded the Must-Follow Company at the 2013 
Internet of Things Awards.

Frank Kresin
Research Director at Waag Society in Amsterdam, Institute for art, 
science and technology. He’s responsible for the research programme and 
chairman of the Management Team. The research programme consists of six 
research themes, aimed at healthcare, education, culture, society, the 
government and the business world. Frank has a background as filmmaker 
and holds a masters degree in Artificial Intelligence from the 
University of Amsterdam.

Siraj Salim
Director of UX at Apppli an award-winning mobile app development company 
will be talking about their latest offering.

Ruth Catlow
Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Furtherfield online community 
for arts, technology and social change. Ruth will focus on collaborative 
bottom-up ways of constructing the City projects and discuss 
Furtherfield’s exhibition Digital Zoo, currently touring UK shopping 
centres as well as the current Play Your Place an open software platform 
for people to draw make and play the future of their place together.

Chair: Dr Sophia Drakopoulou
Senior lecturer at Middlesex University; researcher in mobile culture 
and locative media.