Defining Smart Cities: Visions of Urbanism for the 21st Century

Technological innovations have and will disrupt all domains of urban life, from housing to healthcare to city management to transportation. This seminar is aimed at future technologists, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and urban planners to define and evaluate the smartness of a city through three lenses: technology, equity, and policy. Through readings, seminar discussions, guest speakers, and a final project, we will explore how a smart city can leverage technology for a higher quality of life, less inequality in access to services, and tighter human communities. You will come away with a framework for understanding how to maximize the social good of emerging technologies. Course material is appropriate for students from all disciplines. Students who enroll in the course for 4 units will participate in an off-campus field component during Spring Break.