Unplugging the City

Unplugging the City PDF

Author: Fábio Duarte

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-10-16

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 131552323X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Modernity has entrusted technology with such power that it is treated as an autonomous entity, with its own manners and morals. Technological disruptions are also socially disruptive: technological failures reveal both the constituents of the technology itself and the social fabric woven by this technology. Cities are the quintessential technological arrangement, not only materially but also as a conceptual framework: the ubiquity of technology makes us think and plan cities mostly in terms of technological arrangements. Unplugging the City: The Urban Phenomenon and its Sociotechnical Controversies proposes a conceptual and methodological framework for analyzing certain urban phenomena as a technological assemblage. It demonstrates, through multiple case studies, the sociotechnical complexities involved in the stabilization and disruption of urban technological arrangements. Examples range from the urban phantasmagorias portrayed in science-fiction movies to the urban proposals of Brasilia and Masdar, from the book of bike-sharing systems to pervasive global surveillance systems. Written by Fábio Duarte and Rodrigo Firmino, based on their original research and publications, this is an essential resource for those interested in the theory and study of technology and its inextricable influence on the city.

Doug Unplugged

Doug Unplugged PDF

Author: Dan Yaccarino

Publisher: Dragonfly Books

Published: 2016-03-08

Total Pages: 41

ISBN-13: 0375859217

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

**Check out the Doug Unplugs animated series on Apple TV!** It's easy being a robot, if you play by all the rules—but when Doug gets curious, he decides to unplug and forge his own path. And he discovers a whole world of what's possible. Doug is a robot. His parents want him to be smart, so each morning they plug him in and start the information download. After a morning spent learning facts about the city, Doug suspects he could learn even more about the city by going outside and exploring it. And so Doug . . . unplugs. What follows is an exciting day of adventure and discovery. Doug learns amazing things by doing and seeing and touching and listening—and above all, by interacting with a new friend. Dan Yaccarino's funny story of robot rebellion is a great reminder that sometimes the best way to learn about the world is to go out and be in it. Praise for Doug Unplugged: "A gentle robotic rebellion." —USA Today A sweet tale . . . Yaccarino [is] especially good at slipping in the small, nourishing details that are savored upon repeated readings." —The New York Times

24/6

24/6 PDF

Author: Tiffany Shlain

Publisher: Gallery Books

Published: 2019-09-24

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1982116862

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In 24/6, Tiffany Shlain explores how turning off screens one day a week can work wonders on your brain, body, and soul. Internet pioneer and renowned filmmaker Tiffany Shlain takes us on a provocative and entertaining journey through time and technology, introducing a strategy for living in our 24/7 world: turning off all screens for twenty-four hours each week. This practice, which she’s done for nearly a decade with her husband and kids (sixteen and ten), has completely changed their lives, giving them more time, productivity, connection, and presence. She and her family call it “Technology Shabbat.” Drawn from the ancient ritual of Shabbat, living 24/6 can work for anyone from any background. With humor and wisdom, Shlain shares her story, offers lessons she has learned, and provides a blueprint for how to do it yourself. Along the way, she delves into the neuroscience, philosophy, psychology, and history of a weekly day of rest across cultures, making the case for why we need to bring this ritual back. A compelling personal story and a fascinating, far-reaching examination of the complex world we’ve created, 24/6 is a call to rebalance ourselves and our society.

Smart City Citizenship

Smart City Citizenship PDF

Author: Igor Calzada

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2020-10-23

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 0128153016

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Smart City Citizenship provides rigorous analysis for academics and policymakers on the experimental, data-driven, and participatory processes of smart cities to help integrate ICT-related social innovation into urban life. Unlike other smart city books that are often edited collections, this book focuses on the business domain, grassroots social innovation, and AI-driven algorithmic and techno-political disruptions, also examining the role of citizens and the democratic governance issues raised from an interdisciplinary perspective. As smart city research is a fast-growing topic of scientific inquiry and evolving rapidly, this book is an ideal reference for a much-needed discussion. The book drives the reader to a better conceptual and applied comprehension of smart city citizenship for democratised hyper-connected-virialised post-COVID-19 societies. In addition, it provides a whole practical roadmap to build smart city citizenship inclusive and multistakeholder interventions through intertwined chapters of the book. Users will find a book that fills the knowledge gap between the purely critical studies on smart cities and those further constructive and highly promising socially innovative interventions using case study fieldwork action research empirical evidence drawn from several cities that are advancing and innovating smart city practices from the citizenship perspective. Utilises ongoing, action research fieldwork, comparative case studies for examining current governance issues, and the role of citizens in smart cities Provides definitions of new key citizenship concepts, along with a techno-political framework and toolkit drawn from a community-oriented perspective Shows how to design smart city governance initiatives, projects and policies based on applied research from the social innovation perspective Highlights citizen’s perspective and social empowerment in the AI-driven and algorithmic disruptive post-COVID-19 context in both transitional and experimental frameworks

The Smart City Transformations

The Smart City Transformations PDF

Author: Amitabh Satyam

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-07-03

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 9386643022

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

A handbook for the practitioners, this book is a complete treatise on the topic of Smart, covering: 1. A comprehensive framework with the needed definitions, concepts, strategies, approaches, and technologies to develop and manage a greenfield or brownfield Smart city. 2. Integrating economics, developmental concepts, engineering, environment and governance that sets the definitive foundation of the Smart framework. 3. Technologies that are powering the Smart movement. Extensive case-studies. 4. Societal and Political research, and progress made by the academia. 5. Specific methodology of measuring Smart elements of a city. Introduction to the concepts of Smart Map and Smart Index. 6. A structured approach to transformation, setting priorities, execution, financing and governance. The new structure and market dynamics of the Smart industry.

Media Choices

Media Choices PDF

Author: Phillip Telfer

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2015-04-10

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 9781511636322

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The digital age emerged suddenly on the world's timeline and has drastically changed the shape of culture. Consequently, today's entertainment has become one of the biggest stumbling blocks to spiritual growth and family health in our nation. Parenting teens was a noble challenge long before society became surrounded by captivating screens, and navigating life as a teen had plenty of difficulties and distractions long before the game changing technology of the smartphone. The bottom line is that parents and teens are both in need of help! Our generation is faced each day with an all-you-can-eat media buffet. It has a huge influence on how we think, how we spend our time, and how we relate to others. It can also affect our relationship with God. Christians have been eager to keep up with the sweeping changes but have fallen far behind in Biblical wisdom. There is a growing need for media discernment in the light of following Jesus. Very few authors have broached the topic of media literacy from a Christian worldview. Phillip Telfer handles this challenging subject deftly with story-driven analogies that serve as a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down. While this does not conclude with a call to be anti-media or anti-technology, it does raise concerns about the unchecked enthusiasm regarding media and entertainment, which are often consumed without discretion. This book will help you discover the Biblical principles that can inspire reasonable convictions. Learn how God's word addresses the unique challenges we face today. This book can help parents and teens discover how and why to guard their hearts and find freedom in this media captive culture.

The Routledge Companion to Smart Cities

The Routledge Companion to Smart Cities PDF

Author: Katharine S. Willis

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-03-27

Total Pages: 460

ISBN-13: 1351713205

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The Routledge Companion to Smart Cities explores the question of what it means for a city to be ‘smart’, raises some of the tensions emerging in smart city developments and considers the implications for future ways of inhabiting and understanding the urban condition. The volume draws together a critical and cross-disciplinary overview of the emerging topic of smart cities and explores it from a range of theoretical and empirical viewpoints. This timely book brings together key thinkers and projects from a wide range of fields and perspectives into one volume to provide a valuable resource that would enable the reader to take their own critical position within the topic. To situate the topic of the smart city for the reader and establish key concepts, the volume sets out the various interpretations and aspects of what constitutes and defines smart cities. It investigates and considers the range of factors that shape the characteristics of smart cities and draws together different disciplinary perspectives. The consideration of what shapes the smart city is explored through discussing three broad ‘parts’ – issues of governance, the nature of urban development and how visions are realised – and includes chapters that draw on empirical studies to frame the discussion with an understanding not just of the nature of the smart city but also how it is studied, understood and reflected upon. The Companion will appeal to academics and advanced undergraduates and postgraduates from across many disciplines including Urban Studies, Geography, Urban Planning, Sociology and Architecture, by providing state of the art reviews of key themes by leading scholars in the field, arranged under clearly themed sections.

Planning for Greying Cities

Planning for Greying Cities PDF

Author: Tzu-Yuan Stessa Chao

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-12-06

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 1315442876

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Planning for Greying Cities: Age-Friendly City Planning and Design Research and Practice highlights how modern town planning and design act as a positive force for population ageing, taking on these challenges from a user-oriented perspective. Although often related to 'healthy city' concepts, the contexts of age-friendly cities and communities (AFCC) were not emphasized until the early 2000s. Planning for Greying Cities is the first book to bring together fundamental and cutting-edge research exploring dimensions of age-friendly cities in different spatial scales. Chapters examine the ageing circumstances and challenges in cities, communities, and rural areas in terms of land use planning, urban design, transport planning, housing, disaster resilience, and governance and empowerment, with international case studies and empirical research results of age-friendly environment studies. It is essential reading for academics and practicians in urban planning, gerontology, transport planning, and environmental design.

The New Companion to Urban Design

The New Companion to Urban Design PDF

Author: Tridib Banerjee

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-06-19

Total Pages: 894

ISBN-13: 1351400614

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The New Companion to Urban Design continues the assemblage of rich and critical ideas about urban form and design that began with the Companion to Urban Design (Routledge, 2011). With chapters from a new set of contributors, this sequel offers a more comparative perspective representing multiple voices and perspectives from the Global South. The essays in this volume are organized in three parts: Part I: Comparative Urbanism; Part II: Challenges; and Part III: Opportunities. Each part contains distinct sections designed to address specific themes, and includes a list of annotated suggested further readings at the end of each chapter. Part I: Comparative Urbanism examines different variants of urbanism in the Global North and the Global South, produced by a new economic order characterized by the mobility of labor, capital, information, and technology. Part II: Challenges discusses some of the contemporary challenges that cities of the Global North and the Global South are facing and the possible role of urban design. This part discusses spatial claims and conflicts, challenges generated by urban informality, explosive growth or dramatic shrinkage of the urban settlement, gentrification and displacement, and mimesis, simulacra and lack of authenticity. Part III: Aspirations discusses some normative goals that urban design interventions aspire to bring about in cities of the Global North and the Global South. These include resilience and sustainability, health, conservation/restoration, justice, intelligence, access and mobility, and arts and culture. The New Companion to Urban Design is primarily intended for scholars and graduate students interested in cities and their built environment. It offers an invaluable and up-to-date guide to current thinking across a range of disciplines including urban design, planning, urban studies, and geography.