EP 43: Wise Cities (And Smart City Ethics)

Municipal Equation Podcast

It's an age of big dreams and cool feats in the space of smart cities -- tech-forward, super-efficient places of living and business, with advanced data-gathering, analytics and automation that save time and money and make life and government good. But the rise of smart-cities too is giving rise to conversations about ethics, inclusion, consent, and how "smart" these solutions really are in their effects on everyday people. On this episode we hang out with Daniel Latorre, who wants to shift the focus from smart cities to "wise cities" -- a different approach to civic innovation and problem solving that decentralizes technology in favor of human beings. He identifies the shortcomings he sees in tech-centric planning, and then gives us a takeaway checkbox of questions to ask when embarking on such projects and planning to ensure that the affected people are kept at the center of focus. Daniel Latorre - The Wise City - Laura Bliss, CityLab, "When a Tech Giant Plays Waterfront Developer" - Bianca Wylie, Medium, "Report from Executive Committee on Sidewalk Toronto. Plus a Word About Consent, Consultation, and Innovation." - Sidewalk Toronto - Episode 38, "Being Careful About Smart Cities and Civic Tech" - Episode 18, "The Smart Cities Primer" -