Smart City vs Common Sense City

Objective

To understand ‘Smart cities’ and critically question the need and logic behind Smart city development via debating its relevance versus ‘Çommon sense’ cities.

Outcome

Students will develop an ability to critique popular notions supported by mainstream media about the Smart city building movement.

Requirements

None

Prerequisites

Fundamental knowledge of Smart cities and cities that are evolved organically (Common sense cities)

Procedure

Step 1: Create two groups from amongst students in the classroom.

Step 2: One group supports the notion of creating ‘Smart cities’, where technology is the go-to solution for every urban problem, whereas the other group supports the idea of ‘Common sense cities’ with simple and humane solutions and development approaches

Step 3: Certain prompt points and questions suggested are:

• What is the difference between a Smart city and a Common Sense city?
• How environmentally and socially inclusive are both the approaches?
• Does technology really have a solution to the increasing climate chaos and stress?
• Does a smart city address the amount of heat that buildings generate and gain and its contribution to thermally comfortable spaces to all people irrespective of their economic status? 

Step 4: Both groups prepare their perspectives and debate. Note down the perspectives that come from the debate. 

Step 5: Practise an active listening approach towards the other group. 

References

None