Why technology is not an end in itself, and how cities can be "smart
enough," using technology to promote democracy and equity.
Smart cities, where technology is used to solve every problem, are
hailed as futuristic urban utopias. We are promised that apps,
algorithms, and artificial intelligence will relieve congestion, restore
democracy, prevent crime, and improve public services. In The Smart
Enough City, Ben Green warns against seeing the city only through the
lens of technology; taking an exclusively technical view of urban life
will lead to cities that appear smart but under the surface are rife
with injustice and inequality. He proposes instead that cities strive to
be "smart enough" to embrace technology as a powerful tool when used in
conjunction with other forms of social change--but not to value
technology as an end in itself.
In a technology-centric smart city, self-driving cars have the run of
downtown and force out pedestrians, civic engagement is limited to
requesting services through an app, police use algorithms to justify and
perpetuate racist practices, and governments and private companies
surveil public space to control behavior. Green describes smart city
efforts gone wrong but also smart enough alternatives, attainable with
the help of technology but not reducible to technology: a livable city,
a democratic city, a just city, a responsible city, and an innovative
city. By recognizing the complexity of urban life rather than merely
seeing the city as something to optimize, these Smart Enough Cities
successfully incorporate technology into a holistic vision of justice
and equity.
