[Air-L] CfP 4S/EASST Amsterdam, 16-19 July 2024 - Panel 355. Multispecies Urbanism: Future of Inclusive Smart City Design

[Aal, Konstantin, Dr.]

Dear colleagues,

We want to share the CfP for a Traditional Open Panel at the 4S/EASST conference 2024 Amsterdam: Making and Doing Transformations.

We are inviting submissions to the open panel 355. Multispecies Urbanism: Future of Inclusive Smart City Design, which will take place in Amsterdam, Netherlands on 16-19 July 2024.

Deadline for submission is February 12, 2024. Accepted panelists will present their ideas, experiences and perspectives against the following background:

Panel Description
Short Abstract:
Exploring the intersection of digital innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability, this panel discusses designing inclusive smart cities. Using Science and Technology Studies insights, we'll study sociotechnical urban dynamics, emphasizing vulnerable groups, AI, robotics, and nature integration.
Long Abstract:
In the ever-evolving landscape of urban ecosystems, the importance of digital infrastructure has emerged as a critical component. Informed by insights from Science and Technology Studies (STS), we will focus on the concept of the smart city that harnesses digital innovation to improve efficiency and foster innovation. In the light of climate change and urbanization, pressure is put on the quality of life and wellbeing of citizens and forms a danger for the flora in cities, which amplifies the consequences of climate change. Hence, the inclusion of vulnerable human- and non-human actors becomes crucial in urban area transformation processes.
This panel aims to explore the numerous challenges and prospects associated with creating future cities that embody true inclusivity and do not reproduce social or economic biases. By broadening the scope of consideration, the panel places particular emphasis on addressing the needs of vulnerable groups, considering digital and non-digital innovation.
In this endeavour, the panel invites a diverse range of scholars to engage in critical discussions related to new methodologies and visions of what inclusive urban spaces might look like in the future and how they could be co-created with vulnerable target groups. Rooted in an STS perspective, the discussions will highlight the role of emerging technologies, such as AI and robotics, in shaping these environments. In addition, the dialogue will explore how displaced elements of nature, including animals and plants, can be reintegrated into urban environments.
The aim of the panel is to inspire actionable strategies by examining the intersection of technology, inclusivity and environmental stewardship and charting a course for urban development that is smart, compassionate and harmonious with the natural world. This multi-faceted approach, informed by STS, seeks to redefine urban spaces, transforming them into cohesive ecosystems where technology, humanity and nature coexist in balanced and sustainable synergy.
The following questions may be of interest and serve as examples:

  *   How to design inclusive and ethical future environments, esp. in smart city contexts, against the backdrop of a multispecies or more-than-human world?
  *   How can technology, esp. robotics and AI support such environmental development without negative side effects for humans and non-humans (animals, nature)?
  *   What frameworks and methodologies to use to reach these goals?
  *   How can we transfer current interdisciplinary practices of participation to other fields of practice?


Session Chairs: Tanja Aal (tanja.ertl at uni-siegen.de<mailto:tanja.ertl at uni-siegen.de>) and Laura Scheepmaker (l.s.scheepmaker at saxion.nl<mailto:l.s.scheepmaker at saxion.nl>)

Keywords: smart city design, multispecies urbanism, more-than-human, vulnerable groups, AI, robotics

Link to the Panel: https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst-4s2024/p/14439

Submissions: If you would like to participate in this session, please submit your individual abstract of approx. 250 words and follow the instructions described here: https://www.easst4s2024.net/callforabstracts/

Link to the submission form: https://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst-4s2024/paper-form/14439

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The 2024 quadrennial joint meeting of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) and the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) invites panels, presentations, making & doing contributions, and other events that explore the role of STS in making and doing contributions to transformations in an era of grand societal challenges.

More information can be found here: https://www.easst4s2024.net/


Our best wishes,
Konstantin, Tanja and Laura
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