Rethinking smart urbanism
Subtitle: city-making and the spread of digital infrastructures in Nairobi
By: Prince K. Guma
Publisher: Uitgeverij Eburon
Published: 2020
Place of publication: Delft
Language: eng
Number of pages: 164
ISBN-13: 9789463013253
Subjects: City planning; Urbanization; Infrastructure (Economics); Planning; Electric utilities
Other titles: City-making and the spread of digital infrastructures in Nairobi
Description: Rethinking Smart Urbanism' is an empirical exploration of the multiple ways in which cities and infrastructures are constructed and reconstructed through ICT innovation and appropriation. Drawing on the case of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, the study explains existing infrastructure constellations through countervailing processes and rationalities in the context of splintered urbanism. In doing so, the study examines the relationship between urban plans and digital infrastructure development, place-based contexts that shape digital infrastructures, and the extent to which these infrastructures facilitate utility companies' ambitions of extending centralized networks to new territories. It draws on the theoretical and empirical base of urban and infrastructure studies, particularly in the fields of smart urbanism, postcolonial urbanism, and Science and Technology Studies. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative research design and presents in-depth case studies that combine ethnographic methods with a thorough investigation of written sources. Ultimately, it is hoped to enhance our understanding of urban and digital possibilities, and add new insights to debates on technology and urbanity in Africa and beyond
Notes: Includes bibliographical references