What strikes me about Metropolis today isn’t just its visual ambition—it’s how clearly it anticipates the logic of automated cities.
Centralised control, invisible labour, rigid hierarchies, and a society shaped by infrastructure rather than policy.
A century later, we talk about data governance, algorithmic power, and urban automation… but the underlying questions are the same.
Cinema sometimes sees the system before the system exists.

#TechCulture #AI #UrbanFutures

Open Call für (re)searching urbanity, 19.–21. Juni 2026, Berlin:

"Unter dem Titel „(un)learning urbanity“ lädt das Symposium zu kritischen, interdisziplinären Beiträgen ein, die vermeintlich selbstverständliche urbane Normen, Praktiken und Imaginationen hinterfragen."

Vielfältige Einreichungen (auf Deutsch oder Englisch) aus Forschung, Praxis, Kunst und Aktivismus sind willkommen.

Frist: 22. Feb 2026

Details: https://researching-urbanity.org/language/en/open-call-2026/

#Stadtforschung #UrbaneZukunft #UrbanStudies #UrbanFutures

Just stumbled across https://feministspatialpractices.com – expanding index of feminism in relation to the built environment. The website brings together feminist spatial practices from around the world. Looks really relevant for anyone interested in how feminism reshapes cities and spaces.

It was initiated by Bryony Roberts and Abriannah Aiken as a contribution to the e-flux exhibition Chronograms of Architecture:
https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/chronograms

#FeministSpatialPractices #feminism #urbanism #mapping #UrbanFutures

Towards the end of his life, Warren Magnusson implored us to imagine radical democratic engagement "premised on the 'open city' rather than the closed nation".

Would that we'd heed that profoundly wise insight.

#UrbanFutures #CitiesForPeople #RightToTheCity #WarrenMagnusson

https://www.urbanaffairsreview.com/warren-magnusson-festschrift

🌿 Urban ReLeaf’s Scenario Spotlights – 3 free online events on planning greener cities!
🎙 Practice, research & public sector insights.

🗓 June 25 → https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scenario-spotlight-insights-from-practice-tickets-1377122523539?aff=oddtdtcreator
🗓 July 2 → https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scenario-spotlight-insights-from-research-tickets-1381969300379?aff=oddtdtcreator
🗓 July 9 → https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/scenario-spotlight-insights-from-public-sector-tickets-1381989179839?aff=oddtdtcreator

Explore tools, data & citizen-led futures.

#ScenarioPlanning #GreenTransition #UrbanFutures #CitiObs

// NIKOLAJ SVEISTRUP

Nikolaj Sveistrup – Head of Urban Futures, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies – designs regenerative futures rooted in place, culture, and balance with planetary boundaries. 🌱

At Waterkant 2025, he explores how evolving our ways of living can help shape resilient and just environments. 🚀

Tickets: https://www.waterkant.sh/festival?utm_source=mastodon&utm_id=WK25

#waterkant25 #futurethinking #urbanfutures #evolve #regeneration

2-year professorship in »Information Visualization & Management« (Oct 2025–Sep 2027, W2) at #FHPotsdam with focus on data visualization, urban complexity & interdisciplinary research.

This is my parental leave replacement - feel free to reach out to me or @boris if you have any questions.

Applications already due on 9 May!

Job ad: https://jobs.b-ite.com/jobposting/a595f8ac675dc069c3de5b1020f38f70cb6897a30?ref=homepage
(this is in German, but teaching can be in English!)

#AcademicJobs #DataVis #DataViz #InterfaceDesign #UrbaneZukunft #UrbanFutures