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Nanotechnology in the City: Sustainability Challenges and Anticipatory Governance

Nanotechnology in the City: Sustainability Challenges and Anticipatory Governance Visions about the use of nanotechnologies in the city, including in the design and construction of built environments, suggest that these technologies could be critically important for solving urban sustainability problems. We argue that such visions often overlook two critical and interrelated elements. First, conjectures about future nano-enhanced cities tend to rely on flawed concepts of urban sustainability that underestimate the challenges presented by deeply-rooted paradigms of market economics, risk assessment, and the absorption of disruptive technologies. Second, opportunities for stakeholders such as city officials, non-governmental organizations, and citizens to consider the nature and distribution of the potential benefits and adverse effects of nano-enabled urban technologies are rarely triggered sufficiently early. Limitations in early engagement will lead to problems and missed opportunities in the use of nanotechnologies for urban sustainability. In this article, we critically explore ideas about the nano-enhanced city and its promises and limitations related to urban sustainability. On this base, we outline an agenda for engaged research to support anticipatory governance of nanotechnologies in cities. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Urban Technology Taylor & Francis

Nanotechnology in the City: Sustainability Challenges and Anticipatory Governance

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References (100)

Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
Copyright The Society of Urban Technology
ISSN
1466-1853
eISSN
1063-0732
DOI
10.1080/10630732.2012.735415
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Visions about the use of nanotechnologies in the city, including in the design and construction of built environments, suggest that these technologies could be critically important for solving urban sustainability problems. We argue that such visions often overlook two critical and interrelated elements. First, conjectures about future nano-enhanced cities tend to rely on flawed concepts of urban sustainability that underestimate the challenges presented by deeply-rooted paradigms of market economics, risk assessment, and the absorption of disruptive technologies. Second, opportunities for stakeholders such as city officials, non-governmental organizations, and citizens to consider the nature and distribution of the potential benefits and adverse effects of nano-enabled urban technologies are rarely triggered sufficiently early. Limitations in early engagement will lead to problems and missed opportunities in the use of nanotechnologies for urban sustainability. In this article, we critically explore ideas about the nano-enhanced city and its promises and limitations related to urban sustainability. On this base, we outline an agenda for engaged research to support anticipatory governance of nanotechnologies in cities.

Journal

Journal of Urban Technology – Taylor & Francis

Published: Apr 1, 2013

Keywords: Nanotechnology; City; Urban Visions; Sustainability; Anticipatory Governance; Sustainability Science

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