Research Seminar | Brian A. Smith: From Smart Cities to Supportive Cities

The Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP) and the  Department of Technology Management and Innovation at NYU Tandon welcomes you to attend a research seminar by Brian A. Smith, associate professor of computer science at Columbia University, where he directs the Computer-Enabled Abilities Laboratory (CEAL) and is an affiliate member of the Data Science Institute’s Data, Media, and Society Center and Smart Cities Center. This event will be held in Room 1201, located on the 12th Floor of 370 Jay Street. About the Lecture: From Smart Cities to Supportive Cities Cities should be judged not only by what they can sense and understand, but by how well they use those capabilities to support the people who live there. Street cameras and sensors can help institutions monitor urban life and identify problems, but that intelligence is usually sent elsewhere for someone else to act on rather than used by the city itself to help residents directly. We still lack a framework for turning urban intelligence into direct support for the people and communities a city is meant to serve. In this talk, we explore a shift from smart cities to supportive cities. Drawing on accessibility research and community-engaged design, I will present two examples of this approach, from repurposing urban infrastructure to support blind pedestrians to working with Harlem residents to strengthen community life amid gentrification and neighborhood change. Together, these projects show how cities can move beyond just sensing and toward helping people realize the experiences and opportunities they value. About the Speaker Brian A. Smith is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University and the director of the Computer-Enabled Abilities Laboratory (CEAL). His research goal is to develop computers that act as true partners in human ability, augmenting rather than replacing it. Instead of developing more intelligent systems alone, he focuses on the experiences they create and how to make them more meaningful. He has been recognized as a National Academy of Sciences Kavli Fellow and is the recipient of several honors including the NSF CAREER Award, Columbia Engineering's Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, and awards for advancing undergraduate engineering programs. Visitor Information This event will be held in Room 1201 at 370 Jay St. Please visit the NYU Tandon website for directions and a campus map. Advance registration through Luma is required for campus access at NYU for external guests. ​​​​About the Urban Science Research Seminar Series The Center for Urban Science + Progress’s annual Research Seminar series features leading voices in the growing field of urban informatics examining real-world challenges facing cities and urban environments around the world.