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BUILT ENVIRONMENT DISRUPTION: PARTNERSHIPS AND URBAN TECHNOLOGY

Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation

Spring 2023 | Tuesdays, 7-9 PM | 204 Fayerweather

Instructors:

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1. Course Summary

How can city builders leverage the benefits and minimize the negative externalities of new technologies to build more attractive, equitable, and dynamic cities? And how can tech companies best engage city leaders, developers, and the public as they seek to shape the urban built environment?

Catering to both aspiring policymakers and budding entrepreneurs, this course provides a high-intensity introduction to the challenges and opportunities of technological innovation in cities. Over the course of the semester, students will be exposed to both academic thinking on the ethical, historical, and political dimensions of “smart cities” as well as lectures from leading practitioners on how to improve the way we live, work, consume, and play in cities today and into the future.

The class is organized into three parts. First, the course will establish key themes and concepts, including the role of innovation in local economic development, the diverse nature of partnerships between cities and tech companies, and the range of actors involved in fostering innovation ecosystems. Second, the course will explore how tech companies are disrupting the specific asset classes – from the home to the workplace – that comprise urban real estate markets. In closing, the course will zoom out to explore how urban systems – from city streets to broadband infrastructure – are being reshaped by new technologies and the evolving demands of 21st century city dwellers. Throughout, we will interrogate the implications of urban tech for diversity, equity, and democracy in the city, as well as how the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated or disrupted relevant economic and demographic trends.

2. Student Learning Objectives

By the end of the semester, students will have gained an understanding of:

  • The major opportunities and challenges related to the development of urban tech for the betterment of city building and the urban environment.
  • Analytical methods for evaluating the influence of technology on city building and identifying strategies to improve the urban environment in thoughtful partnership with technology firms.
  • The public policy dynamics between the urban built environment and evolving technologies.
  • How to develop a public benefits case of a disruptive technology that influences how we live, work, and play in cities.
  • Best practices for designing public-private partnerships with technology companies.

3. Course Structure

The first 60-75 minutes of each class period will generally be a seminar-style lecture, in which the instructors (and occasionally a guest lecturer) will present material while providing opportunity for input, discussion, and questions. The remaining 45-60 minutes will typically be student-led, based on work done outside of class.

The course is divided into three modules with the following topics in each:

Class Number/Date

Topic

Module A: Developing Innovative Places

Class 1: January 17

Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and 21st Century Cities

Class 2: January 24

Cities and Tech: Rules of Engagement

Class 3: January 31

Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Urban Tech

Class 4: February 7

Institutions as Developers

Class 5: February 14

 City Building by Competition
Module B: Real Estate Disruption

Class 6: February 21

Housing Innovation

Class 7: February 28

Workplace Revolution

Class 8: March 7

The Sharing Economy and the Future of Hospitality

Class 9: March 21

Retail Disruption and the Future of Urban Experience

Module C: Urban Systems Disruption

Class 10: March 28

Mobility Disruption

Class 11: April 4

Urban Development in the Age of Big Data

Class 12: April 11

The Future of Urban Tech

Class 13: April 18

From Physical to Digital Infrastructure

Class 14: April 25

Final Presentations

4. Assignments & Grading

Class Participation (20%)

Attendance is required at all classes. One excused absence will be permitted, but please notify the teaching team as far in advance as possible. The course will be most fun and interesting if everyone is engaged in a lively discussion.

Students will sign up on the first day of class to moderate a debate about the readings at least once during the semester. On the day a student leads the debate, they must come prepared to summarize their initial reactions to both required and optional readings and facilitate a debate with the class. Students should share their proposed debate question with the teaching team by Monday at noon, ahead of class on Tuesday evening. The discussion leadership component accounts for 10% of a student’s overall grade.

Memos (45%)

Three short memos, each worth 15% of the grade, will be assigned throughout the semester — one at the end of each module. The memos will relate to class discussions and cases, as well as assigned readings. Prompts will be shared at least two weeks before they are due. Late memos will not be accepted. Memo topics may cover questions around the risks of P3s for public and private parties or how social equity may be achieved in the economy of the future.

  • Memo 1: City Building by Competition, due on Friday, February 17
  • Memo 2: Urban Built Environment Disruption, due on Friday, March 10
  • Memo 3: Data Privacy and the Public Benefit Equilibrium, due on Friday, April 7

Group Project (35%)

Students will conduct a project throughout the second half of the semester in groups of 2 to 4. All groups will present the outcomes of their projects during the last class for their peers and a panel of outside reviewers. Each group will evaluate the implications of a new urban technology of their choice deployed in New York City across the areas of physical planning and real estate, workforce, and skills development, and/or data and privacy. These topics remain under-discussed in urban policy circles but will become increasingly important as the pace of technological innovation continues to accelerate.

Groups may either choose a technology that has already been deployed or a hypothetical future technology (potential examples include autonomous vehicles, drones, predictive analytics and AI, smart energy grids, civic tech/digital engagement, etc.). Student grades will depend on individual student contributions and overall group performance, and students will have an opportunity to complete an individual and peer assessment.

As they prepare for the assignment, students may wish to review precedent economic impact reports conducted by urban tech companies such as Lyft, Venn, and WeWork.

Individual Meetings

Students will be required to meet one-on-one with the course instructors at the start of the semester, to discuss professional goals, academic interests, and any outstanding questions related to the course or topics covered. Further details on the timing of meetings to be shared once enrollment has been finalized.

5. Class Descriptions

*See Modules section of coursework for class reading assignments.

Module A: Developing Innovative Places

Class 1 (1/17):  Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and 21st Century Cities

Lecturer: Kate Wittels & Adam Tanaka

Topics: What are the goals, structure, and expectations of the course? What is the background of the students and the teaching team? How are cities ecosystems of 21st century innovation and entrepreneurship? What is an innovation ecosystem? What is the 21st century model of economic development? How can municipalities most effectively regulate and partner with private entities to maximize the social benefits of new technologies? How has the legacy of COVID-19 affected the future of innovation in cities?

Class 2 (1/24): Cities and Tech: Rules of Engagement

Lecturer: Adam Tanaka

Topics: In what ways have municipal governments and technology companies historically collaborated to deliver products and services to city residents? How have these modes of engagement shifted over time? Under what circumstances might cities and tech companies come into conflict – or, conversely, establish partnerships? What is a “joint venture” and how can the concept be used to structure effective deals between cities and tech companies?

Class 3 (1/31) | Evaluating the Costs and Benefits of Urban Tech

Lecturer: Adam Tanaka

Topics: What methods do tech companies, real estate developers, policymakers, advocates, and others use to evaluate the impacts of urban tech? What types of impacts do they (and can they) measure? What is economic impact, fiscal impact, and cost-benefit analysis? What is a benefits case? How have these methods been used to promote or critique urban tech projects, products, or programs?   

Class 4 (2/7) | Institutions as Developers

Lecturer: Kate Wittels

Topics: What role do large, nonprofit institutions play in creating innovation ecosystems in cities? How are these institutions like government and yet truly private entities? In what ways can they innovate and what challenges do they face when innovating? How does invention occur in cities and in what contexts is it best facilitated? What is the role of incubators, accelerators, and other intermediaries?

Class 5 (2/14) | City Building by Competition

Lecturer: Kate Wittels

Topics: As competitions for cities become more popular and more expensive for cities to bid for, what are the implications on cities when they put together a bid? What happens if they lose? If they win? Are the benefits from the process better than the prize? In the end, who wins and who loses when cities compete against one another?

Module B:  Real Estate Disruption

Class 6 (2/21) | Housing Innovation

Lecturer: Adam Tanaka

Topics: How are new technologies and changing consumer preferences transforming the design, financing, construction, and leasing or sale of urban housing? What are the financial, political, and regulatory constraints to housing innovation? What is the role of government in facilitating – or stymying – new housing models? How are cooperatives, community land trusts, and other alternative ownership arrangements reconfiguring the private housing market?

Class 7 (2/28) | Workplace Revolution

Lecturer: Kate Wittels

Topics:  What is the employment of the future? What are the tools and systems enabling this change (e.g., platforms, robots, competitions, etc.)? What are the ramifications for city makers (e.g., taxes, zoning, urban design)? What is the role of workforce development programs, accelerators, and co-working in the traditional office environment? What are the emerging business models of an office developer?

Class 8 (3/7) | The Sharing Economy and the Future of Hospitality

Lecturer: Kate Wittels

Topics: How has the proliferation of short-term rentals (STRs) affected cities? How have their impacts varied between cities—and neighborhoods—of different sizes and natures? How have local governments and industry players mutually adapted to a shifting landscape of STR business models and their consequences? How should cities regulate STRs in a way that preserves their economic benefits while mitigating their negative impacts, such as on housing affordability? In what ways does this issue exemplify the ways in which technology can disrupt the built environment and real estate markets?

**Spring Break - No class on 3/14**

Class 9 (3/21) | Retail Disruption & the Future of Urban Experience

Lecturer: Adam Tanaka

Topics: How is the nature of retail and entertainment changing? What are the implications of e-commerce for labor markets, real estate markets, and land use? What is the future of “brick and mortar” stores? What is the “experience economy” and how is it impacting placemaking and leisure spending?

Module C: Urban Systems Disruption

Class 10 (3/28) | Mobility Disruption

Lecturer: Kate Wittels

Topics: How are new mobility products transforming the ways in which we travel around cities? In what ways are new technologies augmenting or replacing existing forms of transportation? What partnerships are necessary to finance and implement new mobility networks? How might mobility disruption support more sustainable and equitable urban living?

Class 11 (4/4) |Urban Development in the Age of Big Data

Lecturer: Adam Tanaka

Topics: How and why is the volume of data being generated in cities increasingly at an exponential rate? What are the potential benefits and unanticipated consequences of using “big data” and machine learning for urban decision-making? How do these approaches complement or conflict with more democratic, participatory, or “crowd-sourced” models of urban governance? How can public, private, and community-based actors work together to promote data privacy, accountability, and transparency?

Class 12 (4/11) | Future of Urban Tech

Lecturer: Adam Tanaka

Topics: What types of emerging technologies will reshape cities and communities in the coming years? What are the opportunities and challenges presented by these new technologies? What is the role of incubators, accelerators, and other intermediaries in the development of new urban tech products and services?

Class 13 (4/18) | From Physical to Digital Infrastructure

Lecturer: Kate Wittels

Topics: What is the urban infrastructure of the future? What will this new digital infrastructure enable households, businesses, institutions, tourists, and city makers to do? How will cities need to adapt to plan, finance, deliver, and maintain this new infrastructure? What role will big data and machine learning play in the design and use of future public space? What are the implications on accessibility, equity, and privacy?

Class 14 (4/25) | Final Presentations

Topics: All teams will present their public benefits cases to the class and a panel of outside reviewers.

6. Further Resources

Recommended Books:

  • Goldsmith, Stephen and Susan Crawford. The Responsive City: Engaging Communities through Data-Smart Governance. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2014.
  • Green, Ben. The Smart Enough City: Putting Technology In Its Place to Reclaim Our Urban Future. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2019. (Freely available online from MIT here)
  • Greenfield, Adam. Against the Smart City. New York City: Do Projects, 2013.
  • Greenfield, Adam. Everyware: The Dawning Age of Ubiquitous Computing. Berkeley: New Riders, 2006.
  • Halegoua, Germaine. Smart Cities. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2020.
  • Mitchell, William J. City of Bits: Space, Place, and the Infobahn. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1996. (Freely available online from MIT here)
  • Picon, Antoine. Smart Cities: A Spatialised Intelligence. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, 2015.
  • Poleg, Dror. Rethinking Real Estate: A Roadmap to Technology’s Impact on the World’s Largest Asset Class. New York: Springer, 2020.
  • Townsend, Anthony. Smart Cities: Big Data, Civic Hackers, and the Quest for a New Utopia. New York: WW Norton, 2013.

Recommended Websites, Periodicals, Newsletters, and Podcasts:

Course Summary:

Date Details Due