The concept of the city (Mumford, 1895-1990):
Levis Mumford (1937) noted the urban experience as an integral component in the development of human culture and the human personality. Drawing from urban sociology, he focused on the social and human elements of urban space and design. With an emphasis on community values, emphasizing the relationship to the natural environment and to the spiritual values of human community. According to Mumford, in defining what is a city, social facts are primary, and the physical organization of a city – its industries, markets, lines of communications, traffic – are subservient to its social needs.
Another concept of “what is a city” involves the relationship between nature and the built urban environment, as articulated by Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903). He noted that the principal concerns of urban planning are both infrastructural and social. Focusing on nature and beautification (parks and open space, and systematically maintaining trees) to improve: public health by the use of trees to combat air and water pollution; urban vice and social degradation; and to advance civilization through the provision of urban amenities that would be available to all.
I think that while the above factors are core requirements for understanding a city, international commerce, trade, and globalization are additional key factors in understanding a city. Including new technology and diversity. My opinion is that Mumford did recognize the evolving nature of cities, and the constant reinvention of cities, through the adapting and retooling technologies, to effectively compete for opportunities. I identified and noted some of the emerging sources of power – including phones, rapid transportation, and power sources.
However, since after the WWII, advances in science and new technologies, especially the automobile have led to fundamental changes in the morphology of cities. Mumford’s core assumptions about “what is a city” may not be particularly relevant in the context of the modern city. In particular, technological advancements and increasing diversity have changed the outlook of cities in terms of both socio-economic and physical design.
The concept of the smart city:
The word “smart city” seems to epitomize the growing use of information technologies to solve core urban problems. A core assumption of a smart city is its techno-utopian vision of and discourse around smart city matters (Wiig, 2015; Soderstrom et al. 2014). Perhaps, intending to advance a data-driven approach to urban governance. I think there is a lot of ambiguity to the benefits of smart city technologies. Mostly on how digital governance impacts citizens and service delivery. Fundamentally, there is an inherent assumption that access and connectivity to information is beneficial, to city residents (McFarlane, 2011).
Spatial Exclusion:
Ali Madanipour analyzes spatial aspects of social exclusion in contemporary European cities. Institutional and social factors, including economic and political exclusion, are prevailing challenges in cities around the globe. As Ali noted, “exclusion of groups of city residents from access to all that the city has to offer on the basis of race, religion, income, or national origin has been and continues to be a pressing issue in cities throughout the world.”
Planning Theory and Practice 