Work

The Shanzhai City

Year: 2019

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Smart cities are often criticised as top-down and technocratic. However, initiatives that are more citizen-centric have difficulties contending with the prevalent technology-driven discourse. From a design perspective, this points towards a delicate balance between an approach that is critical enough to resist assimilation yet constructive enough to have a sustainable impact. This paper aims to explore and articulate this balance through the discussion of shanzhai, a Chinese phenomenon on the fringe of the global market economy. More particularly, we highlight three qualities of shanzhai by linking these to the case study of a smart bicycle lock, followed by a discussion in terms of their agonistic qualities. These three qualities of shanzhai, the marginalised people it caters, its hybrid aesthetic and its position in the market, could inform a design practice that critically yet constructively engages with technology in the context of smart cities.

Source: Australian Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (OzCHI)

DOI: 10.1145/3369457.3369529

Authors: Teis De Greve, Bieke Zaman, Jessica Schoffelen

Institutions: LUCA School of Arts, KU Leuven, University Colleges Leuven-Limburg

Language: English

Topic: Smart Cities and Technologies

Subfield: Urban Studies

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: green

Funder: Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie