Sentient Cities: Ambient Sentient Cities: Ambient intelligence and the politics intelligence and the politics

of urban space of urban space

Steve Graham and Mike Steve Graham and Mike CrangCrang

Department of GeographyDepartment of Geography

University of DurhamUniversity of Durham

Towards “Enacted Environments”: (Cuff, Towards “Enacted Environments”: (Cuff, 2003)2003)

RFIDs and the “Internet of things”: Also RFIDs and the “Internet of things”: Also biometrics, algorithmic CCTV, tagging, new biometrics, algorithmic CCTV, tagging, new bordering technologies, ‘smart’ bordering technologies, ‘smart’ infrastructures, geodemographics, GPS etc.infrastructures, geodemographics, GPS etc.

Machine readable entities--sensors---Machine readable entities--sensors---databases to recognise and track individual databases to recognise and track individual ‘objects of interest’’‘objects of interest’’

Ubiquitous computing and the promise of Ubiquitous computing and the promise of the always-on, everywhere networkthe always-on, everywhere network

Architectural and urban spaces continually Architectural and urban spaces continually animated, brought into being, and animated, brought into being, and continually continually performedperformed through ubicomp or through ubicomp or ambient intelligence ambient intelligence

’’Technological unconscious’ or ‘calculative Technological unconscious’ or ‘calculative background’ within which background’ within which computers computers inhabit the most ordinary thingsinhabit the most ordinary things

3 KEY STARTING POINTS3 KEY STARTING POINTSONE: Best understood ONE: Best understood notnot as a as a

real/virtual real/virtual binary of ‘real city’ & ‘virtual binary of ‘real city’ & ‘virtual

cyberspace.’ cyberspace.’ Rather, simply the latest process in Rather, simply the latest process in

long long history of urban ‘history of urban ‘remediation’remediation’ ‘Cyberspace’ "is very much a part of our contemporary world. It is constituted through a series of remediations. As a

digital network, cyberspace remediates the electric communications networks of the past 150 years, the

telegraph and the telephone; as virtual reality, it remediates the visual space of painting, film, and television ; and as social space, it remediates such historical places as cities

and parks and such 'nonplaces' as theme parks and shopping malls. Like other contemporary telemediated spaces,

cyberspace refashions and extends earlier media, which are themselves embedded in material and social environments".

Bolter, J. and Grusin, R. (1999) Remediation : Understanding New Media, MIT Press.

TWO: Cities can be seen to emerge as 'fluid machines” -- places which continuously combine ‘distant proximity’ & ‘proximate distance’ in all sorts of ways:

”There is a continual fluctuation of people, goods, data, and services as moving entities, together forming a society where the whole

structure is in movement. This dynamic is supported by thousands of signs indicating both movement and intensity of urban flows. Each

flow individually forms its complex horizontal network, further linked vertically through different transportation systems. Both new

infrastructures and the hyper-concentration of facilities [in cities] create a strategic terrain for a network of international corporate cultures (international finance, telecommunications, information

technology). These networks are open systems capable of absorbing new centres without causing instability"

Gutierrez and Portefaix (2000)

THREE: Paradoxically, ambient, ubiquitous or THREE: Paradoxically, ambient, ubiquitous or locative media, like all new technological locative media, like all new technological

systems, tend to become hidden and systems, tend to become hidden and ‘disappear’ at precisely the moment that they ‘disappear’ at precisely the moment that they

become most important:become most important: ““The most profound technologies are those The most profound technologies are those

that disappear. They weave themselves that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they into the fabric of everyday life until they

are indistinguishable from it” are indistinguishable from it”

(Mark Weiser, 1991)(Mark Weiser, 1991)

Socially ‘Black boxed’ to become theSocially ‘Black boxed’ to become the ‘engineer’s stuff’: ‘Infrastructure’ ‘engineer’s stuff’: ‘Infrastructure’

‘‘Infrastructure’ is:Infrastructure’ is: Embedded (i.e. “sunk into other Embedded (i.e. “sunk into other

structures);structures); Transparent (“it does not need to be Transparent (“it does not need to be

reinvented each time or assembled for reinvented each time or assembled for each task”); each task”);

Offers temporal or spatial reach or scope; Offers temporal or spatial reach or scope; Is learned by its users;Is learned by its users; Is linked to conventions of practice (e.g. Is linked to conventions of practice (e.g.

routines of electricity use); routines of electricity use); Embodies standards; Embodies standards; Is built on an installed base of sunk capital;Is built on an installed base of sunk capital; Is fixed in modular increments, not built all Is fixed in modular increments, not built all

at once or globally; andat once or globally; and Tends to become visible when it fails Tends to become visible when it fails

(Susan Leigh-Star, 1999) (Susan Leigh-Star, 1999)

Multiple, Multiple, Simultaneous, Simultaneous,

TrajectoriesTrajectories

Currently, several, trajectories of ubiquitous Currently, several, trajectories of ubiquitous computing development are emerging computing development are emerging simultaneouslysimultaneously

Each struggling to become ‘fixed’, normalised and Each struggling to become ‘fixed’, normalised and standardised into technological systems as standardised into technological systems as ‘infrastructure’‘infrastructure’

Need to maintain a perspective Need to maintain a perspective across across andand betweenbetween : : 1. Consumerisation1. Consumerisation 2. Militarisation/ securitisation2. Militarisation/ securitisation 3. Urban activism and 3. Urban activism and

democratisationdemocratisation

1. Consumerisation; ‘Friction-Free’ Capitalism? 1. Consumerisation; ‘Friction-Free’ Capitalism?

New ‘control revolution’ through New ‘control revolution’ through persistent, pervasive & inter-operable persistent, pervasive & inter-operable surveillance and trackingsurveillance and tracking

‘‘Data-driven mass customization based Data-driven mass customization based on continuous, real-time monitoring of on continuous, real-time monitoring of consumers’ (Andrejevic 2003)consumers’ (Andrejevic 2003)

‘‘Bricks’n’clicks’ assemblages of electronic Bricks’n’clicks’ assemblages of electronic and material provision in this augmented and material provision in this augmented landscape landscape

Often used to ‘unbundle’ and Often used to ‘unbundle’ and recommodify public urban infrastructure recommodify public urban infrastructure into neoliberal mobility marketplacesinto neoliberal mobility marketplaces

Reanimate long-standing utopian tropes Reanimate long-standing utopian tropes of perfect flow, complete efficiency, of perfect flow, complete efficiency, seamless interconnection, annihilation of seamless interconnection, annihilation of space through time space through time

RFIDs: Smooth Flow, Just in Time Management, RFIDs: Smooth Flow, Just in Time Management, Ubiquitous TrackingUbiquitous Tracking

E.g. “Advanced User E.g. “Advanced User Resource Annotation “Resource Annotation “

Windows Mobile application AURA launched Windows Mobile application AURA launched in December 2006. Aims to ‘connect in December 2006. Aims to ‘connect shoppers on the go to a world of shoppers on the go to a world of information about products’ (MS press information about products’ (MS press release). release).

It depends upon objects being ‘coded’ in It depends upon objects being ‘coded’ in this case with a bar code. With an AURA-this case with a bar code. With an AURA-enabled device, you use a digital camera to enabled device, you use a digital camera to snap the bar code on a product, which it snap the bar code on a product, which it will relate to the database held by Microsoft will relate to the database held by Microsoft and will return links and search results and will return links and search results about the item to the handheld device. about the item to the handheld device.

‘‘Software-Software-Sorting’ Sorting’

techniques techniques often used to often used to

‘unbundle’ ‘unbundle’ and and

recommodify recommodify public urban public urban infrastructure infrastructure into neoliberal into neoliberal

mobility mobility marketplacesmarketplaces

Road Pricing:Road Pricing:Unbundling Public Roadspace Unbundling Public Roadspace

Monopolies:Monopolies:

The Internet: ‘Squelching The Internet: ‘Squelching the Scavenger Class’the Scavenger Class’

Cisco (2002): "The Scavenger Cisco (2002): "The Scavenger class [categorisation] is class [categorisation] is intended to provide differential intended to provide differential services, or ‘less-than-Best-services, or ‘less-than-Best-Effort"’ services, to certain Effort"’ services, to certain applications", the document applications", the document suggests. "Applications suggests. "Applications assigned to this class have little assigned to this class have little or no contribution to the or no contribution to the organizational objectives of the organizational objectives of the enterprize. Assigning a minimal enterprize. Assigning a minimal bandwidth queue to Scavenger bandwidth queue to Scavenger traffic forces it to be squelched traffic forces it to be squelched to virtually nothing during to virtually nothing during periods of congestion" .periods of congestion" .

Call Centres: The Politics of Call Centres: The Politics of Speed-Up and Slow-DownSpeed-Up and Slow-Down

Avaya Corporation (2000):Avaya Corporation (2000): "One of your best customers dials "One of your best customers dials

the national customer service the national customer service number for your company. The ANI number for your company. The ANI [Automatic Number Identification] [Automatic Number Identification] database reveals the customer to database reveals the customer to be among the top 5% of your be among the top 5% of your customers. [Our system] routes the customers. [Our system] routes the customer at high priority. When the customer at high priority. When the agent picks up the call, he hears a agent picks up the call, he hears a whispered announcement that this whispered announcement that this caller is ‘Top 5’" caller is ‘Top 5’"

This process increasingly This process increasingly automated…automated…

““The public sphere malled”? Kang and The public sphere malled”? Kang and CuffCuff

Automatic detection of Automatic detection of individualsindividuals

Dress code enforcement by Dress code enforcement by reading clothing types of reading clothing types of those enteringthose entering

Detection and removal of Detection and removal of ‘groups’‘groups’

Radically unbundled pricing/ Radically unbundled pricing/ special offers e.g. special offers e.g. ‘bookmarked’ stored in Japan‘bookmarked’ stored in Japan

Electronic lists of excluded Electronic lists of excluded and ‘socially undesirable’and ‘socially undesirable’

‘‘Flatten’ public qualities of Flatten’ public qualities of mall spacemall space

Code Place: Software-Sorted CitiesCode Place: Software-Sorted Cities

Online Geographic Online Geographic Information Information Systems (GISs) Systems (GISs) used to offer used to offer different services different services to different to different neighbourhoods neighbourhoods

II Securitisation and Militarisation: II Securitisation and Militarisation: TowardsTowards

Passage-Point Urbanism? Passage-Point Urbanism?

TargetingTargeting

‘‘War on terror’ securitisation War on terror’ securitisation practices cast urban anonymity a practices cast urban anonymity a problem requiring, data-mining, problem requiring, data-mining, profiling, anticipation and tracking to profiling, anticipation and tracking to identify ‘targets;’ within urban and identify ‘targets;’ within urban and infrastructural ‘clutter’infrastructural ‘clutter’

Face-recognition CCTV: automated Face-recognition CCTV: automated visual tracking infrastructures?visual tracking infrastructures?

Gait-recognitionGait-recognition Telecoms/Net surveillanceTelecoms/Net surveillance ANPR tracking/ road pricing systemsANPR tracking/ road pricing systems Biometric borders/ RFID passports/ Biometric borders/ RFID passports/

profiling algorithmsprofiling algorithms Call centre queuingCall centre queuing

Code Space: Software-Sorted Code Space: Software-Sorted MobilitiesMobilities

Code Face: Toward Software-Sorted Code Face: Toward Software-Sorted Streets?Streets?

Surveillance Creep: Embedded Systems Surveillance Creep: Embedded Systems Become SecuritisedBecome Securitised

The ‘New Manhattan Project’: The ‘New Manhattan Project’: Surveillance Systems for ‘Unconventional War Surveillance Systems for ‘Unconventional War

Targets’Targets’

Defense Science Board (2004) US forces need Defense Science Board (2004) US forces need another “Manhattan Project” for tracking and another “Manhattan Project” for tracking and

locating targets in ‘assymetric’ urban warfare to locating targets in ‘assymetric’ urban warfare to “locate, identify and track people, things and “locate, identify and track people, things and

activities in an environment of one in a million”activities in an environment of one in a million”

ss

DARPA’s Combat Zones DARPA’s Combat Zones That See: Persistent That See: Persistent Urban SurveillanceUrban Surveillance

Observing ‘change’ rather than ‘scenery’Observing ‘change’ rather than ‘scenery’ Identify purported notions of urban ‘normality’ against the Identify purported notions of urban ‘normality’ against the

‘abnormal’ behaviours and patterns that can then be assessed ‘abnormal’ behaviours and patterns that can then be assessed as targets. as targets.

CTS “explores concepts, develops algorithms, and delivers CTS “explores concepts, develops algorithms, and delivers systems for utilising large numbers (1000s) of algorithmic video systems for utilising large numbers (1000s) of algorithmic video cameras to provide the close-in sensing demanded for military cameras to provide the close-in sensing demanded for military operations in urban terrain.” operations in urban terrain.”

““Will produce video understanding algorithms embedded in Will produce video understanding algorithms embedded in surveillance systems for automatically monitoring video feeds to surveillance systems for automatically monitoring video feeds to generate, for the first time, the reconnaissance, surveillance, and generate, for the first time, the reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeting information needed to provide close-in, continuous, targeting information needed to provide close-in, continuous, always-on support for military operations in urban terrain”always-on support for military operations in urban terrain”

““Behind the fighters, military police and Behind the fighters, military police and intelligence personnel process the intelligence personnel process the

inhabitants, electronically reading their inhabitants, electronically reading their attitudes toward the intervention and attitudes toward the intervention and

cataloguing them into a database cataloguing them into a database immediately recoverable by every fire immediately recoverable by every fire

team in the city (even individual team in the city (even individual weapons might be able to read personal weapons might be able to read personal

signatures, firing immediately upon signatures, firing immediately upon cueing. Smart munitions track enemy cueing. Smart munitions track enemy

systems and profiled individuals. Drones systems and profiled individuals. Drones track inhabitants who have been ‘read’ track inhabitants who have been ‘read’

as potentially hostile and ‘tagged’” as potentially hostile and ‘tagged’”

Defense Watch, 2004Defense Watch, 2004

Jordan Crandall: a militarisation through Jordan Crandall: a militarisation through ‘Armed Vision’: “Tracking is an anticipatory ‘Armed Vision’: “Tracking is an anticipatory form of seeing”form of seeing”

””Identifying targets becomes the role of Identifying targets becomes the role of statistical algorithms which sift the mass and statistical algorithms which sift the mass and flux of registered and sensed data searching flux of registered and sensed data searching for [Mark Seltzer’s]”‘statistical persons’”for [Mark Seltzer’s]”‘statistical persons’”

““A gradual colonization of the now, a now A gradual colonization of the now, a now always slightly ahead of itself”always slightly ahead of itself”

““While civilian images are embedded in While civilian images are embedded in processes of identification based on reflection, processes of identification based on reflection, militarised perspectives collapse identification militarised perspectives collapse identification processes into “Id-ing” - a one-way channel of processes into “Id-ing” - a one-way channel of identification in which a conduit, a database, identification in which a conduit, a database, and a body are aligned and calibrated” and a body are aligned and calibrated” (Crandall 1999).(Crandall 1999).

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Tracking, ‘Security’ and MilitarisationTracking, ‘Security’ and Militarisation

III III Art and Activism: Reenchanting,Art and Activism: Reenchanting,

Reanimating, Repoliticising the City? Reanimating, Repoliticising the City? Calls Calls to realise and reclaim the potentials of augmented to realise and reclaim the potentials of augmented

spaces through art and activism. Direct challenge to spaces through art and activism. Direct challenge to visions of both sanitized and transparent corporate and visions of both sanitized and transparent corporate and commercial spaces and militarised and securitised commercial spaces and militarised and securitised spaces .spaces .

Technological reappropriation: ‘The new hybrid space also Technological reappropriation: ‘The new hybrid space also calls for new forms of public action. These can only be calls for new forms of public action. These can only be created and facilitated if the users of hybrid space learn to created and facilitated if the users of hybrid space learn to see the influence of relatively invisible digital structures see the influence of relatively invisible digital structures and appropriate their technology where possible for and appropriate their technology where possible for alternative use.’ (Kraan 2006). alternative use.’ (Kraan 2006).

New social performances; address New social performances; address alienated experience; alienated experience; strive for (digital) reenchantment of world; opening out strive for (digital) reenchantment of world; opening out authorial empow-erment; build collective community and authorial empow-erment; build collective community and participatory endeavour; struggle against hegemonic participatory endeavour; struggle against hegemonic commercialisation &/or securitisationcommercialisation &/or securitisation

Locative Media and the ‘Viscosity’ of SpaceLocative Media and the ‘Viscosity’ of Space

‘When information can actively find you on the street, there is a viscosity of space that

forms between strangers with locative media, creating landscapes charged with traces of others that have inhabited the

same space. In this early stage of location-based media, a greater connectivity and interaction between people who share a common interest, is thought to hold the

promise of invigorating the public sphere to create an awareness and, therefore, a

vitality of activity and public dialogue in spaces that might otherwise remain

stagnant. This density and cohesion is more or less explicitly opposed to notions of

disorientation and distractedness in contemporary urbanity” (Shirvanee 2006).

Hyperlinking the City e.g. Hyperlinking the City e.g. GrafediaGrafedia

Clickable environmentClickable environment Grafedia written by hand Grafedia written by hand

onto physical surfaces and onto physical surfaces and linking to rich media content linking to rich media content

Viewers "click" on these Viewers "click" on these grafedia hyperlinks with cell grafedia hyperlinks with cell phones by sending a phones by sending a message addressed to the message addressed to the word + "@grafedia.net" word + "@grafedia.net"

‘‘every surface becomes every surface becomes potentially a web page, and the potentially a web page, and the entire physical world can be entire physical world can be joined with the Internet’joined with the Internet’

TaggingTagging

Digital Collective Memory e.g. Digital Collective Memory e.g. 34N118W: 34N118W:

Revealing Bodily Mobilities e.g. Urban Revealing Bodily Mobilities e.g. Urban TapestriesTapestries

Attempt to document the world Attempt to document the world as people experience it at as people experience it at street level and add a sense of street level and add a sense of bodily motion moving through bodily motion moving through and between sitesand between sites

Accessed via handheld devices Accessed via handheld devices such as PDAs and mobile such as PDAs and mobile phones.phones.

Allows people to author their Allows people to author their own virtual annotations of the own virtual annotations of the citycity

Enabling communities’ Enabling communities’ collective memories to grow collective memories to grow organicallyorganically

Allowing users to embed social Allowing users to embed social knowledge in the new wireless knowledge in the new wireless landscape of the city. landscape of the city.

People can add new locations, People can add new locations, location content and the location content and the ‘threads’ which link individual ‘threads’ which link individual locations to local contexts.locations to local contexts.

Opening out authorial empowerment Opening out authorial empowerment e.g. Yellow Arrow e.g. Yellow Arrow Guerrilla Mapping, InnsbruckGuerrilla Mapping, Innsbruck

Massively Authored Artistic Massively Authored Artistic PublicationPublication

Arrows point to object – text in – Arrows point to object – text in – poems politics and advertspoems politics and adverts

Participatory urban visualisations: Participatory urban visualisations: e.g. e.g. Christian Nold’s Christian Nold’s Greenwich emotion Greenwich emotion

map: map: Instead of security Instead of security

technologies that are technologies that are designed to control and designed to control and surveill behavior, surveill behavior, envisages new tools that envisages new tools that allow people to allow people to selectively share and selectively share and interpret their own bio interpret their own bio data. data. BiomappingBiomapping

Pooling data as people Pooling data as people movemove

‘‘Communal arousal Communal arousal surface’ surface’

Opening Out City as Gamespace e.g. Asphalt Opening Out City as Gamespace e.g. Asphalt GamesGames

‘‘Relational Architecture’: Rafael Lozano Relational Architecture’: Rafael Lozano HemmerHemmer

Urban Screens: Making Things PublicUrban Screens: Making Things Public

Contesting Urban Data Politics Contesting Urban Data Politics e.g. Neighborhood Knowledge Los e.g. Neighborhood Knowledge Los

Angeles (NKLA)Angeles (NKLA)

ConclusionsConclusions Multiple visions of sentient urbanism: commercialisation, securitisation,

art/activism. Each struggling to become fixed into infrastructure whilst striving to remediate urban life in various ways:

Relations between these important but poorly understood An emerging urban and technological politics as each offers possibilities

for new urban spatialities and temporalities. Relational politics linking ‘proximate distance’ with ‘distant proximity’.

Profoundly different treatment of social relationships. Temporalities especially interesting: Environments are now being

saturated with anticipatory technologies which delegate agency to invisible and sentient systems. These blur into local, urban environments, whilst enacting and organising transnational flows.

But may also contain memories and link to the past just as much as to anticipation of the future. May offer the possibility of enriched community formation -- sense of destabilising spaces or haunting them with absent others

Dreams of perfect transparency and omniscience are long-standing. But the linking technology within ambient technology is generally a ‘kludge’, as software designers call it.

Result, crucially, is a multitude of ‘Little Brothers’ not one ‘Big Brother’; a pan-urban ‘oligopticon’ with many gaps and spaces, failures and unintended effects, rather than an all-seeing , omniscient, and all-controlling urban ‘panopticon’.

‘Mobile networks have to negotiate the architecture of spaces that they attempt to inhabit. The supposedly flat space of the network is in fact not flat, pulled into troughs and peaks by the gravity of architecture and the users themselves.’ (Manovich 2006)