Abstract
This essay critically reflects on the conjunction of city planning and high technology and explores the philosophical, ethical, and practical implications of technological determinism in shaping a sustainable urban future. The essay contends that technology truly has potential to make cities more sustainable and efficient, yet it poses fundamental questions concerning the values carried by technological systems. The article presents a philosophical argument against technological determinism and the imperative that urban planners address emerging technologies in a way that ensures compliance with core principles of social justice, equity, and sustainability. In addition, the research reflects on the evolution of paradigms of urban planning as a reaction to the information age and posits the imperative of accepting both “hard” and “soft” data in planning paradigms. The political ramifications of such technological advances for urban policy and governance are also explored, including the risks of fuelling inequalities, exacerbating power imbalances and undermining privacy. The article concludes with an argument for a paradigm shift in urban planning emphasizing inclusivity, transparency, and moral accountability and thus makes future urban areas resilient, equitable, and just for everyone. This critique will utilize land use planning a foundational practice of the discipline as a major lens to investigate these tensions and anchor its philosophical arguments in concrete examples.
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