Corelia Baibarac-Duignan and I wrote a chapter for this great looking book called “Speculative Design Methods for Citizen Engagement in Smart Cities Research”, edited by Emiel Rijshouwer & Liesbet van Zoonen (both EUR and Centre for BOLD Cities). In our chapter, we position controversing as a way to open up democratic discussions about smart urban futures (as we do in our research collaboration, and in our academic paper on the subject>>). Download the book here >>
With my colleagues from the Utrecht University-based research group [urban interfaces], we’re organizing the 5th edition of our yearly graduate seminar series. This time the theme is The Magic City >>: THE MAGIC CITY: Of technorationality and spiritual futures – [urban interfaces] Graduate seminar 2021-2022 Dates: 5 April (15:00 – 17:00), 26 April (15:00 – 17:00) and 10 May (14:00 – 17:00 with drinks) Venue: MCW Lab, Kromme Nieuwegracht 20 (theater space downstairs), Utrecht. Credits: 3 ECTS (for RMa Students […] Read More
A bit late to post here, but it’s such a nice interview that I wanted to archive it anyway… Femke Niehof – science communications writer at Utrecht University – wrote up a really good article about urban technologies and public values, based on a double interview with Nanna Verhoeff and me about the Media Architecture Biennale (mab20). I’m archiving it in its entirely below: ========== Media Architecture Biennale offers perspective: In the city of the future, people and their relationship […] Read More
Corelia Baibarac-Duignan and I wrote an Open Access article for Big Data & Society, on what we call ‘controversing’ . It was written as part of our NWO-funded project “Designing for Controversies in Responsible Smart Cities“. In this paper, we propose the concept of controversing as an approach for engaging citizens in debates around the datafied city and in shaping responsible smart cities that incorporate diverse public values. Controversing addresses the engagement of citizens in discussions about the datafication of […] Read More
The research group [urban interfaces] I am part of was one of the organizing partners of the Media Architecture Biennale 2020, which took place 28 June – 2 July 2021 (after being was postponed due to Corona). Read the final MAB20 report here (pdf 5 MB) >> The Media Architecture Biennale (MAB20) took place from June 24th – July 2nd 2021, and was organized by Utrecht University (UU) and the University of Applied Science in Amsterdam (AUAS). MAB20 was organized by […] Read More
With my fellow co-organizers of MAB20, I wrote an editorial article for Volume Magazine #59 – special issue “Futures Implied”. In this article, we depart from several recent controversies around smart cities to raise some urgent issues around media technologies in the city that center around (a clash in) public values. In this editorial, I framed today’s urban situation as follows: “…cities are caught up in a double whammy between technological and societal challenges.”: From a critical vantage point, by […] Read More
Corelia Baibarac-Duignan presented online at the Data Justice Conference 2021 on behalf of both of us. We submitted an abstract long time ago (mid Dec. 2019), before Corona, but of course then all events had to be cancelled or postponed, so this event took place online in May 2021. The presentation was a pre-recorded one, in the “Civic responses, activism and countercultures” track. Abstract “From controversies to controversing: infrastructuring civic participation in the datafied smart city” Corelia Baibarac-Duignan & Michiel […] Read More
Together with my colleague Karin van Es, I wrote a paper about datawalking as a method for doing research on the datafication of urban life. The paper appears in the European Journal of Communication, in a special issue guest edited by Stine Lomborg, Lina Dencik, and Hallvard Moe. It’s Open Access, and can be found here >> Abstract This article explores datawalking as a novel method in media and communication research for studying datafication. Drawing from existing literature, datawalking is characterized […] Read More
Colleagues Katharine Willis and Alessandro Aurigi have just published the edited volume “The Routledge Companion to Smart Cities“. In this compendium, Martijn de Waal, Matthijs Bouw and me co-wrote a chapter about our experiences in The Hackable City project. Here’s the TOC, which looks like a great set of chapters: Table of Contents 1. Introduction Alessandro Aurigi and Katharine S. Willis Part 1: Smart City Governance Section 1: Urban governance, data and participatory infrastructure 2. A City is Not Computer (with […] Read More
In the last few months, two Utrecht University special interest groups were awarded, of which I am the lead: Special interest group “Inclusion in the Datafied City“, as part of the Utrecht University focus area “Governing the Digital Society“. Special interest group “Playful Cities“, as part of the Utrecht University focus area “Game Research“. More info about both below: 1) Inclusion in the datafied city Modern cities are datafied cities. The Special Interest Group Inclusion in the Datafied City researches how […] Read More
Together with colleagues Nanna Verhoef and Sigrid Merx, I am one of the organizers of the 3rd edition of the [urban interfaces] graduate seminar (2019-2020). This year’s theme is Urban Ecologies. URBAN ECOLOGIES: The [urban interfaces] graduate seminar 2019-2020 Dates: February 11 and 25, and March 10, 2020. Time and Venue: 13.15-17.00 @ Jankskerkhof 15, room 101, Utrecht (for session 1) & MCW Lab, Muntstraat 2A, Utrecht (for sessions 2 and 3). Credits: 3 ECTS (for RMa Studentes and PhD […] Read More
How to involve citizens in discussion around the datafication of their city? That’s the main question of the cultural project Cirque du Data, initiated by Utrecht-based data design office CLEVER°FRANKE and city lab RAUM. As part of the methodology course Research Lab 1 that I’m teaching at Utrecht University, we are partaking in the project. On Thursday 31 October 2019 14:30 – 17:00 we will have the final presentations by our students. Venue: Pathe Leidsche Rijn / Cinemec, Berlijnplein 100, 3541 CM Utrecht. […] Read More
The [urban interfaces] research group, composed of Nanna Verhoeff, Sigrid Merx and Michiel de Lange, have co-edited a special issue in Leonardo Electronic Almanac, titled “Urban Interfaces: Media, Art and Performance in Public Spaces”. We are currently wrapping up the last tidbits. See the special issue on the LEA website >>. In this collection of essays, we advance the notion of urban interfaces to explore how situated media, art, and performances (co-)constitute and (co-)construct the public spaces of our mediatized cities. […] Read More
On 19 Sept. 2019, I was invited to talk about our research project “Designing for Controversies in Responsible Smart Cities“, at the event Beyond Smart Cities Today, organized by Centre for BOLD Cities. Very well organized and great lineup with – among others – the following speakers: Rob Kitchin (Maynooth University) Ayona Datta (University College London) Alberto Vanolo (University of Turin) Maria Kaika (University of Amsterdam) Willem Schinkel (Erasmus University Rotterdam) Bianca Wylie (Tech Reset Canada & #BlockSidewalk) Michiel de Lange […] Read More
Together with [urban interfaces] colleagues Nanna Verhoef & Sigrid Merx, I am co-editing a special issue in Leonardo Electronic Almanac, titled “Urban Interfaces: Media, Art and Performance in Public Spaces”. The issue is still work in progress, but a number of contributions by various authors have already been posted on the LEA website >>. In this collection of essays, we advance the notion of urban interfaces to explore how situated media, art, and performances (co-)constitute and (co-)construct the public spaces […] Read More
The Mobile City – the organization I co-founded together with Martijn de Waal – is a partner in the Media Architecture Biennale 2020, which will take place in Amsterdam and Utrecht between 23 – 27 November 2020. Stay tuned for more updates in Fall 2019!
Jiska Engelbert at Erasmus University Rotterdam is organizing a very interesting event (18 and 19 September, 2019) at which I will be speaking. See call here: https://www.centre-for-bold-cities.nl/beyond-smart-cities-today. Beyond Smart Cities Today Call for Conference Contributions Conference title Beyond smart cities today When? 18 and 19 September, 2019 Where? Rotterdam, The Netherlands Hosts Centre for BOLD Cities, Erasmus Institute for Public […] Read More
Just out, a new chapter in this great looking edited volume: de Lange, Michiel. 2019. “The right to the datafied city: Interfacing the urban data commons.” In The Right to the Smart City, edited by Paolo Cardullo, Cesare Di Feliciantonio and Rob Kitchin, 71-83. Bingley: Emerald. Publication day for ‘The Right to the Smart City’ book edited by @kiddingthecity, Cesare Di Feliciantonio & @RobKitchin published by Emerald. Focuses on smart cities, rights, citizenship, social justice, commons, civic tech, […] Read More
Book launch 14 May 2019 17:00 – 18:30 “The Playful Citizen:Civic Engagement in a Mediatized Culture” Spui25 in Amsterdam >> In cooperation with Amsterdam University Press and the Utrecht Center for Game Research Program 17:00 Welcome – Michiel de Lange (Utrecht University – moderator) 17:05 Intro Sybille Lammes (Leiden University) 17:20 Jeroen Jansz (Erasmus University Rotterdam) 17:35 Joost Raessens (Utrecht University) 17:50 Ingrid Hoofd (Utrecht University) 18:05 panel discussion & Q&A 18:30 Close + drinks How can digital games encourage […] Read More
Work with me as a postdoc at Utrecht University in this project: Direct link to job description >> Postdoc position in project “Designing for Controversies in Responsible Smart Cities” (1.0 FTE) Description: We are looking for a Postdoc researcher (2 years, fulltime) who has experience and/or affinity with smart cities, datafication, public values, and design. You will be working at Utrecht University under the supervision of Dr. Michiel de Lange in the collaborative project “Designing for Controversies in Responsible Smart […] Read More