Call for papers: Convergence of Technology, Nature and Space in Ubiquitous Cities

A special issue of International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development

Recent studies on ubiquitous, pervasive and augmented cities break a new ground in focusing on the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and their convergence on shaping urban space, service and human behaviour over time. Although the concept of 'Future City' has been introduced by many sci-fi movies such as Matrix, Minority Report, Island, and so on, quantitative accounts of the causal links and impacts of ‘ubiquitous computing networks’ have been underrepresented in the urban research.

However, there are questions remaining regarding the way in which the pervasive city, the so-called ‘u-City’, might impact on

1. lifestyles and human behaviours
2. urban planning and design
3. urban services and infrastructure provision
4. public participation and governance, and
5. intra- and inter-city communication networks.

Recent discussions on wireless communication technologies and technology convergence have been dominated by the multi-media and/or telecommunication companies, with little regard to developing a broader structural understanding of how the technological development and convergence has an influence on the urban space and pathways to u-Cities.

This special issue welcomes submissions on questions including but not limited to:

• How to design a Ubiquitous City (u-City) as a sustainable city to open urban spaces to nature, technology and human?
• What aspects of u-City can be used to optimise urban service delivery and environment management goals?
• How does technology convergence affect the prospects of different hierarchies of people and places in a u-City?
• To what extent ubiquitous computing is impacting on the automatic production of spaces?
• How do technologies, softwares and social geography interact with a u-City?

Important Dates
Expression of interest by: 31 May, 2010
Full papers by: 3 December, 2010