27 May: Will We Be As Smart As Our Cities?

New Urban InformaticsHow can we outfox our Smart Cities?

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.

Free drinks courtesy of Airbnb (https://www.airbnb.co.uk/)!

Speakers

Frank Kresin
Research Director at Waag Society (http://waag.org/) 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.

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 (http://umbrellium.co.uk/) 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.

Siraj Salim
Director of UX at Apppli (http://www.apppli.com/) an award-winning mobile app development company will be talking about their latest offering.

Ruth Catlow
Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Furtherfield (http://www.furtherfield.org/) 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 (http://bit.ly/1j2i42f), currently touring UK shopping centres as well as the current Play Your Place (http://localplay.org.uk/) an open software platform for people to draw make and play the future of their place together.

Cost:
Cybersalonista Ticket £8
Student ticket £5
Students and Staff of Middlesex University and University of Westminster: FREE ENTRY

Please purchase tickets through Cybersalon's Eventbrite page (credit cards) or via this Meetup (PayPal)

Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/will-we-be-as-smart-as-our-cities-tickets-11465362207?