Extension of submission deadline – 1st of May 2013
The diffusion of ubiquitous computing into modern cities and the massive use of mobile devices have shifted researchers vision to explore ideas about the cities of tomorrow; terms as “smarter cities”, “iphone city”, “sentient city”, “digital cities” have emerged. There is a wealth of paradigms applying ubiquitous and pervasive computing to urban spaces focusing on developing city network infrastructures, optimising traffic and transportation flows, lowering energy consumption, etc. These works emphasise on providing new services to citizens and enhancing their daily routine. However, a city is not just infrastructure and services; all modern cities share the same infrastructure and offer similar facilities, still, each and every one has evolved a unique character, depicted in every neighborhood’s architecture and monuments. Cities are the people that inhabit them, their memories, stories, concerns and the culture that develops through their social interaction.
As urban computing lies on the intersection of architecture, social interaction and design of computer systems for use in urban areas, it does not plan the city of the future but it allows people to interact with their cities in novel ways aiming to shape and decide the future of the city. The focus of this workshop is on the social and cultural aspects of the smart city. In particular, we seek to study how urban computing alters the city, the perception of people about the city, the communication among people and the social and cultural impact on the city and on city life.
The goal of this workshop is to define what is a “sociable smart city” and how this vision can be realized.