Digital Participatory Planning: Citizen Engagement, Democracy, and Design

Abstract

tation, concentrates on specific cases reflecting experimental urbanism: Masdar City, an eco-city in Abu Dhabi, and Hong Kong’s smart city agenda. The apocalypse, the third section, portrays the results of the experiment, particularly considering the role of artificial intelligence (AI), where cities become autonomous, taking on lives of their own. At the end of Shelley’s Frankenstein, the protagonist must confront what he has produced and the consequences of his actions. The outcome of the experiment is a living, independent, and flawed creature that transforms into something he could not have anticipated. In Cugurullo’s Frankenstein, he examines the challenges of sustainability posed by so-called eco-cities and smart cities, highlighting the elements of their flawed condition. He then examines the growth of urban experiments related to advances in AI that encourage autonomous systems as components of city operations. Cugurullo describes the development of autonomous cities: Spaces, spawned from years of ecoand smart city experiments, in which varied forms of AI from robots to digital platforms execute urban behaviors that have typically been performed by humans. Cugurullo concludes by pointing to the end of the city, not in the sense of a worldwide catastrophe destroying urban development, but rather as the end of these places primarily organized, governed, and sensed by human intelligence. Though dealing with the future, Frankenstein Urbanism does not attempt to foretell it. Rather, the analysis of past and contemporary urban experiments helps to comprehend and critique the current directions of urban development patterns. Victor Frankenstein’s story serves as a cautionary tale: The outcome of Frankenstein’s experiment spirals out of control and proves fatal. Similarly, showing how the transition from ecoand smart to autonomous city planning is leading to the creation of urban environments that humans can only partially comprehend, manage, and, in some cases, be compatible with, Cugurullo warns us that cities and plan-making should exercise caution as they head into the future. He also contends that eventually, we all will need to adapt to the consequences of these experiments. Viewing city development through the lens of Shelley’s early science fiction makes for good storytelling as well as thoughtful analysis of the case studies of Masdar City and Hong Kong. Like many portrayals of future cities, this is a dystopian tale and a fascinating journey for planning practitioners or academics interested in the past, present, or future structure of cities. Cugurullo’s Frankenstein holds open the chances for us to better understand our assumptions, improve upon the science, or choose not to experiment at all. I do not think planners (or Frankenstein) should opt for the latter. Finally, Shelley’s comparison of Victor to Prometheus has interesting connotations for urban planners given that in Greek mythology, Prometheus (derived from forethinker) empowers humanity through technology and knowledge. Forethought and empowerment are topics very familiar to planners and offer a less dismal message than what is usually associated with Frankenstein’s monster.