The Shanzhai City

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.