Smart Cities Or Smart Villages?

Technology can either be used to make centralized systems more resilient or to make decentralized systems that are inherently resilient more efficient. This is a normative decision we as a society have to take.

By analyzing the trends in modern (smart) cities and comparing them (sometimes polemically) with the mechanisms working in villages the audience will be supported in this talk to form a conscious and personal opinion on this decision.

This presentation will then leverage complex systems theory, self-organizing systems, and mechanisms such as the wisdom of the crowds to paint a positive picture of our society that facilitates human dignity and freedom.

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Mark Ballandies

Mark C. Ballandies is a Ph.D. candidate at the professorship of Computational Social Science (Prof. Dirk Helbing) at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, where he also received his BSc and MSc in computational science and engineering. He gained expertise in the fields of cryptoeconomics, machine learning, and software development in numerous scientific and industry works. He is an alumnus of the Foundation of German Business, president of the NGO Education Matters e.V., treasurer of the Club Alpbach Zurich, a member of the dcentgroup, and initiator of the smarte Dörfer association. Currently, Mark researches with his colleagues on a value-sensitive feedback provision mechanism that supports organisations and society to better self-organise.

Our complex world faces challenges and problems not seen before. Mark believes, that in order to face those successfully we need to adjust our decision-making processes by changing the way how information and knowledge are created and exchanged.