Where does smartness in the city come from? Evaluating contradictions and opportunities to a better urban world

• Grant number: 16/15059-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2016
• End date: January 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Geography - Human Geography
• Principal Investigator: Lindon Fonseca Matias
• Grantee: Cinthia de Almeida Fagundes
• Supervisor: Alberto Vanolo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências (IG). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Università degli Studi di Torino (UNITO), Italy
• Associated to the scholarship: 14/01450-2 - Sorocaba, City of the Future and the Future of the City: Evaluation of the urban public policy and quality of life, BP.DR

Abstract

This internship project aims to develop a critical and evaluative analysis about "smart cities" and "cities of the future" mainstream concepts. Four months of scientific investigation will be devoted to analyze the background, speeches and effects in urban area produced by smart initiatives. This theoretical design will later contribute to explore the Brazilian city of Sorocaba - case study related to this PhD research - and the city of Turin, an Italian city strongly investing in smart city projects, where this project will take place. In addition, we expect to understand the capability of these 'smart' actions to enhance quality of life. The approach to this problem pursues a critical stream focused on contradictions that concern to the urban prosperity symbols, unraveling social agents and their interests, as well as, shapes and process resulting from investments in technology and innovation performed selectively in the territory. In effect, the main source of information about these topics of interest will be provided by literature review and discussions with the supervisor - specialist in this critical approach of smart cities. Finally, fieldwork will be conducted in Turin, in order to critically analyze smart urban policies. (AU)