Events

This workshop is jointly organized by the University of Calgary, Singapore Management University, and the National University of Singapore; and funded by an SSHRC Partnership Development Grant.

Smart cities, as a mode of planning and urban administration, are reaching ubiquity on a global scale, yet this phenomenon’s social and environmental implications are not well understood. Neither is the extent to which different geographical, social, and political contexts shape how smart cities might deliver some of their most basic goals, such as sustainability, economic development, or social cohesion. This workshop arises from a global comparative research project that has sought to address these lacunae by examining seven smart cities. Those cities include Calgary (where the SSHRC grant for the comparative project is housed), three Asian cities (Seoul, Taipei and Singapore), as well as Barcelona, Stockholm, and Toronto. The workshop will include presentations on each of those seven city contexts, thematically-organized comparative discussion, and deliberation of future research possibilities (involving collaborators from beyond the seven cities in the existing study).

In addition to presentation of empirical findings about a variety of smart cities in and beyond Asia, the workshop forms part of wider efforts to develop a comparative research framework for smart cities on a global scale. The global scope of the research programme will address a fundamental gap in urban studies literature: the lack of sound comparative research on smart city initiatives from diverse world regions (including Asia) exhibiting substantially different characteristics.

PARTICIPATION

Please note that participation in the closed-door workshop is by invitation only.

WORKSHOP CONVENORS

Prof Byron Miller 
Department of Geography, University of Calgary

Prof Tim Bunnell 
Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore

Prof Lily Kong 
School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University

A/P Orlando Woods 
College of Integrative Studies, Singapore Management University