Are Smart Cities the Future of Urban Living?

What Does a People-Friendly City Look Like?

A successful city is a lot like a puzzle, but it shouldn’t feel that way for the people living in it. What if walking through a city felt more like an invitation, and less like a challenge? In this episode we explore how sensory design, social design, and inclusive design can transform urban environments into places that are easy to exist in.   -   Special thanks to the following sources:  American Psychological Association – Designing cities to improve mental health with Jenny Roe, PhD | Speaking of Psychology [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npNUn3a-kcE] Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health [https://www.urbandesignmentalhealth.com/facts-and-figures.html] Making cities mental health friendly for adolescents and young adults, Pamela Y. Collins. et al. [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-07005-4#citeas] Project for Public Spaces [https://www.pps.org/] Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority – Designing our age-friendly city [https://www.ura.gov.sg/Corporate/Get-Involved/Plan-Our-Future-SG/Innovative-Urban-Solutions/Age-friendly-city] Social Capital and the Built Environment: The Importance of Walkable Neighborhoods, Kevin M. Leyden [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1448008/] The Uses of Disorder – Richard Sennett         UNICEF Child Friendly Cities [https://www.childfriendlycities.org/]

How do Cities Tell Their Stories?

How do cities create stories that stick? In this episode, we explore the art of place branding and the power of iconic campaigns, like the legendary “I ❤️ NY” logo that transformed New York City’s image worldwide. We’ll consider the theory behind place branding and how cities use storytelling to shape their identities, attract visitors, and inspire local pride. From slogans to symbols, discover how branding shapes the way we see and experience places.   -   Special thanks to the following sources:   Branding the City: The Democratic Legitimacy of a New Mode of Governance, Jasper Eshuis and Arthur Edwards [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0042098012459581?casa_token=VATDklth010AAAAA%3ADCmTaHfP3ZLjtCEFloB9MPCC9rwllqp37Nj2r3TzGQ44IFVDE2ehOu0GWUlLMpXd1AEyyHqyTQ]   City Branding and the Link to Urban Planning: Theories, Practices, and Challenges, Ahmad Bonakdar and Ivonne Audirac [https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0885412219878879]   Crafting iconic city brands: Geerte Udo on shaping ‘I amsterdam’ - The Place Brand Observer [https://placebrandobserver.com/interview-geerte-udo-place-branding-i-amsterdam/]   I Love NY Concept Sketch - Museum of Modern Art [https://www.moma.org/collection/works/128649?ref=untappedcities.com]   Rescaling through city branding: The case of Amsterdam - The Conversation [https://theconversation.com/rescaling-through-city-branding-the-case-of-amsterdam-71956]   The night New York saved itself from bankruptcy - Jeff Nussbaum for The New Yorker [https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-night-new-york-saved-itself-from-bankruptcy]   5-Step approach to place branding: Guide for place developers and brand managers - The Place Brand Observer [https://placebrandobserver.com/five-step-place-branding-approach/]

Eyes on the Street: Who is Watching?

Welcome back to the StreetsSmart podcast. In this episode, we dive into the complex world of safety in public spaces, exploring the application of the "eyes on the street" philosophy pioneered by urbanist Jane Jacobs. Public surveillance technology, and the ethics upholding these systems, increasingly raise questions about safety and privacy. Who is watching, and are they really keeping us safe? And can community-based vigilance be successful in a world dominated by social hierarchy?  - Special thanks to the following sources: The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs The Panopticon Writings, Jeremy Bentham Beneath the Skyway - 99% Invisible [https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/beneath-the-skyway/] ‘Wilding’ in the West Village: Queer Spaces, Racism and Jane Jacobs Hagiography, Johan Andersson [https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12188]

How Are Cities Becoming Climate Resilient?

In the final episode of the StreetsSmart mini series, we explore the crucial role of urban systems in addressing climate change. From reimagining transportation systems and the possibilities of electrified fleets, to revolutionizing building practices with innovative design, cities are leading the charge towards a greener future.  -  Special thanks to the following sources: Alternative Fuels Data Center: Emissions from Electric Vehicles - U.S. Department of Energy  [https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_emissions.html] Cities and climate change - United Nations Environment Programme [https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/resource-efficiency/what-we-do/cities/cities-and-climate-change] CTA Facts at a Glance - Chicago Transit Authority  [https://www.transitchicago.com/facts/] How did Shenzhen, China Build World’s Largest Electric Bus Fleet? - Lu Lu, Lulu Xue and Weimin Zhou, World Resources Institute  [https://www.wri.org/insights/how-did-shenzhen-china-build-worlds-largest-electric-bus-fleet] Inside A Sustainable Power Plant With A Ski Slope On Its Roof - Architectural Digest [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRr6_bORSMs] Interview with Jaime Lerner- American Society of Landscape Architects [https://www.asla.org/contentdetail.aspx?id=30875] Net-Zero Emissions Operations by 2050, including a 65% reduction by 2030 - Office of the Federal Chief Sustainability Officer  [https://www.sustainability.gov/federalsustainabilityplan/emissions.html] The Nexus of Energy Efficiency and Air Strategies for Buildings - Robert B. Weisenmiller PhD., Berkeley California-China Climate Institute  [https://ccci.berkeley.edu/news/2023/03/nexus-energy-efficiency-and-and-air-strategies-buildings#:~:text=With%20its%20first%20appliance%20and,1980s%20(see%20Figure%201).] Why Smart Urban Design May Save Us from Natural Disasters and Address Social Justice - American Society of Landscape Architects [https://dirt.asla.org/2018/04/17/why-smart-urban-design-may-save-us-from-natural-disasters-and-address-social-justice/] Why The Built Environment? - Architecture 2030 [https://www.architecture2030.org/why-the-built-environment/] 80x50 Climate Action Plan - City and County of Denver [https://www.denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/1/climate-action/documents/ddphe_80x50_climateactionplan.pdf]

Are Smart Cities the Future of Urban Living?

From optimizing traffic patterns to real-time energy management, global cities are using smart city technology to transform urban life. Yet as we embrace these innovations, questions of equity and privacy emerge. In this episode, StreetsSmart considers the emerging reality of smart cities, and the role of technology in shaping the urban experience. - Special thanks to the following sources: A City Is Not a Computer - Shannon Mattern, Places Journal  [https://placesjournal.org/article/a-city-is-not-a-computer/] Billionaire-planned smart cities in the US: What’s the latest? - Adina Solomon, Smart Cities Dive [https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/billionaire-smart-cities-update-elon-musk-telosa-utopia/699348/] Chattanooga Smart City Plan - City of Chattanooga [https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/TN%20Chattanooga.pdf] Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia, by Anthony M. Townsend  Smart Cities - National Geographic [https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/smart-cities/] Top 7 Smart Cities in the World in 2024 - Olivia Lai, Earth.Org [https://earth.org/top-7-smart-cities-in-the-world/] Uncovering the Early History of “Big Data” and the “Smart City” in Los Angeles - Mark Vallianatos, Boom California  [https://boomcalifornia.org/2015/06/16/uncovering-the-early-history-of-big-data-and-the-smart-city-in-la/] Urban Informatics and Big Data - Michael Batty, UCL Centre for Advanced Spatial Analytics [http://www.spatialcomplexity.info/files/2015/07/Urban-Informatics-and-Big-Data.pdf] What is a Smart City? - Alice Gomstyn, Alexandra Jonker, IBM [https://www.ibm.com/topics/smart-city] Wired City, U.S.A. The Charms and Dangers of Two-Way TV - John Wicklein, The Atlantic [https://cdn.theatlantic.com/media/archives/1979/02/243-2/132613324.pdf]