Human Centred Design
By looking at complex societal challenges from a human-centred design perspective, we aim to empower relevant stakeholder to become engaged and take ownership of the challenge and its solution.
Philosophy of Technology
Through studying human-technology relations and their societal impact, we aim to get more insight in the ethical and political consequences of emerging technologies to work towards a more responsible design of smart cities.
New Urban Media
By exploring the different ways in which media and art create, transform and intervene in urban spaces, we gain knowledge on how public spaces and urban culture are being shaped.
FUTURE FRICTIONS
Would you like to learn about the impacts of technology in cities? Future Frictions helps to reflect on the ethical implications of using technologies in cities. It is an interactive scenario-based tool to explore how prioritizing certain values in smart cities can ultimately impact our everyday lives, now and in the long term.
How does it work?
In Future Frictions, you explore a neighborhood, interact with neighbors and, at some point, encounter three different speculative technologies such a surveillance drone, an AI cat and a set of sensing pigeons. You will need to make controversial decisions regarding the use of this technology and the data it collects. These decisions are provocative and ambiguous with the intention of opening up spaces for reflection and debate. After making the decisions, Future Frictions brings different urban futures to the present, showing how technology can have an impact on our cities and the interactions we have in them.
For more information, have a look at this guide we have created about Future Frictions: http://responsiblecities.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Future-Frictions.pptx.pdf
You can use Future Frictions individually or in a group, as part of a workshop session or at home. We have developed two versions: (1) a full version with 3-dimensional interactivity, for a longer and more immersive experience or (2) an app version for shorter (but equally reflective) engagements. Click below!
We recommend the full version for individual experiences, to make decisions alone or in a workshop setting for individual reflection (to share insights with others).
We recommend the app version for faster engagement, and to negotiate choices with others (in workshops or in exhibitions or other settings).
Who is behind Future Frictions?
Learn about our point of view on responsible smart cities
Towards Responsible Smart Cities cook-it book
In this book, we provide mindsets that uncover what is behind our approach and open up exciting possibilities for developing responsible smart cities together.
Our magazine
In this magazine, you can learn about our team and what motivates us to work towards achieving responsible smart cities.
R-city hub
Would you like to join our online community, learn more about our methods and approaches, and participate in exercises that trigger ethical reflection on smart cities? Check our online platform https://r-cityhub.hotglue.me/
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Recent posts
- ‘Curious controversies’- paper at RSD11 June 16, 2023
- Make futures tangible- Interview June 16, 2023
- Book chapter in ‘Rethinking Technology and Engineering’ May 5, 2023
- ‘Seek out friction and controversy when making cities smarter’ March 16, 2023
- New chapter “Situating Data Inquiries in Algorithmic Culture” March 9, 2023