Cities of Things

How will we live together with intelligent things?

With the rise of AI (artificial intelligence) combined with IoT (internet of things), the concept of what is a “thing” shifts from passive artifact to active partner. Capable to perform tasks and make judgments, Things increasingly “work with us” to produce positive change in everyday life.

In Cities of Things, we focus on this changing relationship with intelligent things. Things that are services in the core. Things that are citizens. With Cities of Things we are shaping the future of our cities with intelligent things.

Activities

Knowledge Hub Cities of Things

Since 2021 the Cities of Things Foundation is established to increase and disseminate knowledge about the coexisting with intelligent autonomous objects in the urban environment. This knowledge is collected for and made available to designers of urban space and objects in that urban space and policymakers of urban space, and all other stakeholders. 

The foundation achieves this primarily by bringing together experts and professionals in knowledge sessions, field labs, and other activities that can multiply knowledge. The knowledge is disseminated by producing publications and organizing meetings, trips, presentations, and other activities as well as everything that is directly or indirectly related or beneficial to this.

Research

We have an active relationship with the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering of the Delft University of Technology. Cities of Things collaborates with multiple research programs and labs and as visiting researcher involved in research projects. The programs on human-nonhuman interactions and research into new mobility and mobility and society and ethics of technology are core.

We also have partnerships with Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences Creating010 knowledge center, and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.

Field labs

Rooted in academic research, we believe that knowledge building and applying in practice go hand in hand, and connecting to practice is core to grow knowledge and relevance. We choose field labs and city labs as the format to connect research and practice. We are shaping the first field lab of the Creative Embassy AMS-MUC of top sector creative industries.

Get in contact

Contact Iskander Smit if you like to know more about this knowledge hub and research program or want to become a partner in research or applied projects. Subscribe to our newsletter to be updated on the latest developments and research.

(Image by Maria Luce Lupetti for this research paper.)