Mundane Surveillance: Technologies, Data, and the New Regulation of Urban Space
via the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Simon Fraser University
Mundane Surveillance: Technologies, Data, and the New Regulation of Urban Space
Speaker: Debra Mackinnon, University of Windsor
Cities have repeatedly turned toward forms of entrepreneurial urbanism and technological solutionism marketed by the private sector. From Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to smart cities, each generation of these devices promises to revitalize cities and “improve” their governance. This talk examines the mobility and use of geospatial applications, platforms and smart security initiatives by BIDs in Vancouver, Toronto, New York and London. Focused on their potential to limit accountability, deepen systemic racism and further corporatize service delivery, this research traces and theorizes how these technologies are used to police, account for, render, and manage urban space and populations.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A session.