Smart Cities Society

In this course, the aim is to introduce students to the concept of smart cities, including their historical development, key characteristics and the opportunities and challenges they present. With an emphasis on the sociological dimensions of the smart city, students will be able to discuss how issues related to power, inequality, governance and citizenship emerge in this new `smart' era. Students will analyze the ways in which smart cities have been theorized, and critically assess the discourses around smart cities. By comparing and contrasting different models of smart city development in different regions of the world, students will also be able to widen their perspectives on what `smart' can come to mean.