socialcitiesoftomorrow 2012 - International Conference Social Cities of Tomorrow

In today’s cities, our everyday lives are increasingly shaped by digital media technologies ? from smart cards and intelligent GPS systems to social media and smartphones. How can we use these technologies to make our cities more social, rather than just more hi-tech? Can digital technologies enable citizens to act on collectively shared issues? Can principles from online culture help to form new collectives around communal resources in an urban context? Can media technologies bring about a sense of place and connection among urbanites, and a feeling of ‘ownership’ of their environment?

These questions are the point of departure for the event Social Cities of Tomorrow. These questions will be addressed in a workshop and at an international conference that aims to bring together professionals from different backgrounds who are involved in the (social) design of the urban experience ? from architects and planners, policy makers and community workers to artists and media & interface designers.

The Conference will be held on 17 February 2012 at Amsterdam’s Westergasfabriek, and the pre-conference Workshop will be held from 14 to 16 February 2012 at ARCAM.

This international conference brings together key thinkers and doers working in the fields of new media and urbanism. Keynote speakers such as Usman Haque, Natalie Jeremijenko will speak about the promises and challenges in this newly emerging and highly interdisciplinary field of urban design. The keynotes will be accompanied by presentations of ‘best practices’ from various disciplines, such as architecture, art, design, and policy.

Eligibility
?Architects and urban planners interested in the ways digital media technologies shape city life, and how this translates to urban design.
?Housing cooperations and real estate developers interested in new ways to engage citizens in the co-creation of their living conditions.
?Artists, designers and media creatives who make work for physical environments and the urban public sphere.
?Policy makers and local government interested in the potential of digital media technologies for urban issues.
?Community organisers and social innovators who want to learn more about how digital media and collaborative principles from e-culture can be used for citizen engagement.