Instant cities to be built by Cisco
For the article click here
This raises issues that are both exciting and worrying. At risk of being a luddite, such technological integration to me seem like a major security risk (recall for those that can, it was such a networked system in Battlestar Galactica [the rebooted series] which allowed for a cyclon attack). Not to mention the obvious Orwellian undertones.
In terms of what this mean in policy terms, it is always interesting when we see such private public partnerships. The outsourcing of the building of an entire city - I cannot help but be ever so slightly un-nerved. Recent examples has shown that the pursual of profit doesn’t neccessarily produce the results conducive to the creation of an improved society (whatever that may be).
Finally, I wonder what such assembly line production cities mean in terms of not only aesthetics, but also how as a result, people interact with their environments and as a result, each other. Will we end up having cities which are templates, without individuality, variety ?- characteristics which are so important for creating dynamic environments for people.
